


Bad Puns and Setting Suns

by Editorsan, Named



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Tragedy, Childhood Trauma, Cussing, Cutting, Depression, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Female Frisk, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Miscarriage, Multi, Murder, Nope slower, One Happy Ending, One sad ending, Other, Panic Attacks, Past Abuse, Past Child Abuse, Past Rape/Non-con, Past Sexual Abuse, Rape/Non-con Elements, Reader Is Frisk, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Stalking, Suicide, Suicide Attempt, Tragedy, Two Endings, there you go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-11
Updated: 2017-04-11
Packaged: 2018-09-16 18:14:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 16
Words: 55,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9283943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Editorsan/pseuds/Editorsan, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Named/pseuds/Named
Summary: A novelization.Not a great one...





	1. A House, a Home, and I Have to Go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
>     
>    
> Cover art drawn by me!  
> This deviation: http://gewlr.deviantart.com/art/BPaSS-Cover-677508784
> 
>  
> 
> **IMPORTANT!!!**
> 
>  
> 
> [~*This is a link*~](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11513592/chapters/25898568#~). Click it if you need a tuToriel!

0~

You cough, further desecrating the placid golden flowers beneath you. Your eyes burst from your skull with dizzying pain as your fingers find the sticky, semi-dry blood spread along the side of your scalp. It’s a miracle you’re still alive, and a miracle that plants can thrive in such dark, tightly packed conditions. Had they been any other patch of flowers…

You shudder to think of it.

Though movement pierces your limbs like flaming arrows, you force yourself to stand. You aren't the type of person who will sit on flowers inside a mountain as if someone will find you hundreds of feet below the surface. You aren't the type of person someone would come looking for, anyway.

You shuffle through the large, sub-surface daisies with the toes of your shoes, hoping to find the bag you fell with, but you have no such luck, and the empty and blank grey slate surrounding the flower patch seems intent on keeping it that way.

It’s a frightening thought, that you could succumb to starvation, or worse, dehydration. Maybe if you're lucky, the swelling in your brain will allow you to drift away peacefully, but you can't afford to think like that.

Maybe your desperate fever-dreams were right. Maybe there _are_ monsters down here. Maybe they’re kind. Regardless, they can't be any worse than humans.

You try to plan further than 'make it out alive, for your sister’s sake', but it doesn't come easily through the brain-fog which often accompanies concussions. If you're being honest with yourself, you can hardly even contemplate the precariously structured way these catacombs seem to extend into wooden archways. It's hardly on your mind until you see an actual door, at which point, you know you've caused further damage to your brain than you first figured. Doors are simply not a natural phenomena which just appear inside a mountain.

Then again, neither are talking flowers, but clearly that's what this cartoonish creature in front of you is meant to be.

"Howdy! I’m Flowey. Flowey the flower! Hmmm... You’re new to the underground, aren’ tcha?"

If you’re being specific, this flower looks exactly like one of the flowers you had found yourself lying on moments ago, except this one has an exceptionally creepy face attached to it.

You’re incredulous, but you surprise yourself with something resembling speech. "What the fu..."

It cocks it’s flower brow. "Golly, you must be so confused. Someone ought ta teach you how things work around here!” It belts with cheerful expressiveness

Even considering the fact that you came to this mountain searching for monsters, this somehow isn’t what you had expected.

“I guess little old me will have to do.”

You cringe. Nothing about this seems right.

"Ready? Here we go!"

There’s a strange tugging sensation in your chest, a foreign feeling that borders on pain, before a glowing, pure red heart emerges from your core. You now stand naked before this flower, at least that’s how you feel, but it’s quick with its words, and is unnaturally distracting.

"See that heart? That is your SOUL, the very culmination of your being!"

These are not words you want to hear from the chipper lips of what should be a nearly inanimate object. _Put it back!_ Your instincts flair, but you aren't sure how to do that. The most you can manage are gentle bumps against your chest, and those are with your most feral attempts.

"Your soul starts off weak, but can grow strong if you gain a lot of LV. What’s LV stand for? Why, LOVE of course! You want some LOVE, don’t you?"

It's an adamant no, and that's plain enough to see scattered across your face and body language, but this creature only looks giddier by it.

"Don’t worry, I'll share some with you!" It winks mockingly. "Down here, love is shared through... little white... ‘friendliness pellets’.” It seems to struggle in finding the correct terminology for something that's apparently normal in this place. “Are you ready? Move around! Get as many as you can!"

Several white “friendliness pellets” surround it’s head, and again, it's a cement solid not happening. Luckily, they're easy enough to step away from, and your soul follows, as if on a short leash.

Flowey looks surprised by this action, but his face changes quickly into a 'you dumbass' grin. "Hey buddy, you missed them. Let's try again, okay?"

You try voicing your distaste, but are swiftly cut off by another set of "pellets". You skid to the ground, barely missing them with the lack of head start.

' _Okay_ ,' You reason with yourself ' _It's pretty obvious this thing is trying to hurt me, so…_ ' You're far from comforted by the thought, and now you’re hyperventilating. You’re nearly positive that no one plans their day this way, but _you did not plan your day this way._

"Is this a joke? Are you braindead? **RUN. INTO. THE. BULLETS!!!** " Its ferocious screams echo against the cave walls as you scramble into an upward position. "Friendliness pellets." It has the gall to 'correct' itself before shoving a speedier spray of ammunition in your direction.

You barely manage to dodge left, the gust of the passing objects grazing along your clothing. The epinephrine that had been numbing your blinding pain is beginning to ebb from your overtaxed system. Your throat tightens as you remain fixed in your evasive position. The realization that you are no match for this comically dainty verdure infects you. It no longer seems to have the patience to grip onto its mock friendliness. In fact, its contorted maw lashes at your nauseating terror with it's hollowed sockets and razor grin.

" ** _Y_ o _u_ k _n_ o _w_ w _h_ a _t_ 's _g_ o _i_ n _g_ o _n_ h _e_ r _e_ , d _o_ n' _t_ y _o_ u?**" Its feral growling slackens you, sending you trembling against the cold, metamorphic surface. " ** _Y_ o _u_ j _u_ s _t_ w _a_ n _t_ e _d_ t _o_ s _e_ e _m_ e _s_ u _f_ f _e_ r.**"

Surrounded by an unavoidable ring of slowly enclosing bullets, you wish you had a mother to cry for. If you did, you wouldn’t be listening to the screeching glee of your demanded death ringing in your ears, or tasting the sourness of your damaged lungs in the back of your throat, as you cry against the already ripping pain of the fall.

The maniacal yuking ceases with a yelping screech.

“What a terrible creature, torturing such a poor, innocent youth…”

You unpaste your lids to a new form.

Soft, white, and feminine, this matronly mixture of cow and goat is draped in purple robes. You’re immediately drawn to her presence, so much so you have to cup your soul against your chest to prevent it from hovering toward her.

“Ah, do not be afraid, my child. I am Toriel, caretaker of the ruins. I pass through this place every day to see if anyone has fallen down. You are the first human to come here in a long time.” She fidgets nervously, keeping a cautious distance from you as your soul melts into your chest.

Fabric rustles softly in the silence, accompanying your heavy breathing as you stare from your seated position.

“You are badly wounded, small one.”

You nod, your nerve endings making this clear to yourself.

She extends a lengthily fingered paw, palm side up, toward you. “May I?”

You nod again, reluctantly, but feeling you have little other choice. The physical shock to your system has rendered you immobile.

She crouches next to you, ponderance etched as she considers as your wounds. Beneath the side slit in the upper layer of her robes, she removes a sack, from which she obtains some basic first aid supplies. She wets a rag with liquid, bringing it to your scalp. You were expecting intense pain during her cleaning, but are pleasantly surprised to feel a deep sense of relief from not only your head, but your entire body. When finished, she wraps a bandage around your lightly stinging cranium.

“There now.” She smiles softly. “You will be as good as new in a few minutes!” she gathers her items and stands, offering a paw to help you up. “Come! I will guide you through the catacombs.” You dust yourself off as she turns to the door. “This way.”

You follow her through it, and are greeted floor-to-ceiling with brick, in a warm purple hue. Deep red leaves are scattered on the ground, providing vivid contrast. Toriel steps up a gray stone staircase, turning to wait for you as you are drawn to a reflective yellow object. It seems to be emitting rays of light, almost like a star. You touch it.

[~*✧*~](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11513592/chapters/25838154#~)

1~

You feel spectacular! Almost as if the object has absorbed any residual pain that still lingered on your form. Even if Toriel turns out to be an enemy, you feel that everything will be alright as long as you can carry this tiny gem with you. You try to pick it up, but it’s very firmly attached to where it sits. Disinclined, you commit it’s placement to memory and follow Toriel up the steps, entering through the grand archway at the top.

“Welcome to your new home, innocent one. Allow me to educate you in the operation of the Ruins.” She pats along specific plates of stone with her feet, causing them to sink into the ground, and then flips a lever on the far wall. An opening forms behind her as she faces you. “The ruins are filled with ancient puzzles. One must solve them to move from room to room.”

You nod in understanding, and follow her onward, pausing to read a placard to the left of the opening.

[~*Placard*~](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11513592/chapters/25838214#~)

  2~

“As a human living in the underground, Monsters may attack you. You will need to be prepared for this situation. However, worry not! If you enter a fight, stall for time. I will come to resolve the conflict. Practice talking to the dummy.”

You stare at her for a few seconds, then at the dummy, and back to her. “You want me to talk to a dummy…?”

She nods cheerfully in return.

You stared at her a bit longer before walking up to the stuffed object. “Umm… hi?” You practically question it with your greeting. It doesn't seem much for conversation. You look back at Toriel, who seems happy with your attempt.

“Ah, very good! You are very good.” She guides you, smiling, into the next room. “There is another puzzle in here. I wonder if you can solve it?”

As you follow her, leaving some distance between the two of you, a large frog the size of a medium dog jumps between you from seemingly nowhere. Startled, you step back, looking past it in search of Toriel. She’s about twenty steps ahead, and the frog seems to be waiting for you to do something. You squint at the small white name tag on its chest.

“Uh, hi Froggit.” You wave weakly. “You have some… beautiful green skin.” You smile awkwardly.

It doesn’t seem to understand what you said, but it looks flattered anyway. When Toriel steps in, stern gaze fixed on the enormous amphibian, it swiftly cowers away, and you are able to follow her to the puzzle. You spare a glance at the large placard on the wall next to you, first.

[~*Placard*~](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11513592/chapters/25852044#~)

3~ 

You double back, examining the pattern of the path on the floor of the room you just came from. After you feel you’ve memorized it, you return to Toriel, ready to face the menacing spike bridge before her.

“This is the puzzle, but…” She contemplates worriedly. “Here, take my hand for a moment.”

You trail behind her as she slowly navigates the ankle height spikes. You're thankful because it's much more difficult to judge the correct pattern with the spikes obscuring it.

“This puzzle seems a little too dangerous, for now.” She informs you over her shoulder as you release hands. She faces you. “You have done excellently thus far, my child. However... I have a difficult request to ask of you.” She gauges your reaction dubiously.

“Okay…  
What is it?” You press, hoping the answer isn’t 'die in a fire', or 'I was working with Flowey the entire time'.

“I would like you to walk to the end of the room by yourself. Forgive me for this…” She jolts to the end of the room, leaving you wondering why she looked so incredibly uncomfortable over something so silly.

Skeptical, you make yourself aware of your surroundings, walking with slow purpose to the end of the excessively long and spacious corridor. A quarter of the way down, you glance back just in time to see a flit of disappearing yellow, which spooks you bad enough you run the remainder of the way, hesitating just before the exit.

Luckily, Toriel steps out from a large white column in time to keep you from rushing off. “Do not worry, my child. I did not leave you. I was merely behind this pillar the whole time. Thank you for trusting me.”

You move your head affirmatively.

“However, there was an important reason for this exercise.  
… to test your independence. I must attend to some business, and you must stay alone for awhile. Please remain here. It's dangerous to explore by yourself.” She instructs.

“What if something happens?” You half-heartedly plead.

She frowns, tapping her chin as she thinks on it. “I have an idea.” She perks. “I will give you a cell phone. If you have a need for anything, just call.”

“Okay.” You trail, taking the small silver rectangle from her furry fingers.

“Be good, alright?” She smiles warmly as you nod, before leaving.

You flip open the ancient looking device, searching through its contents.

[~*Call Toriel*~](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11513592/chapters/25838346#~)

4~ 

Toriel’s number is all it seems to hold. After attempting to navigate the miniscule screen, you flip it shut. You notice it’s been close to twenty minutes. With nothing to distract you, you start to become antsy, and soon enough, you find yourself tentatively tiptoeing out if the room.

As if she were watching, Toriel calls you.

[~*Cell phone*~](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11513592/chapters/25838895#~)

  5~

You slip your phone back into your pocket after your conversation. You aren’t sure how she believed you when you told her you were still in the room. You didn’t find yourself convincing in the least. It doesn’t matter now, though. You’ve made your choice. You step fully into the room, only to find another frog standing near an opening. You hop back with a small screech.

The frog, wearing the same Froggit name tag as the last one, croaks. “Excuse me, human. I have some advice for you about battling monsters.”

You reply shakily with a 'Yes?'.

“If you act a certain way, or fight until you almost defeat them, they might not want to battle you anymore. If a monster does not want to fight you, please, use some mercy, human.” His great chin extends with another throaty 'ribbit', and he looks very contented when you agree to follow through with his request.

You slip past him, into a room that holds a bowl of candy in its center. The sign simply says 'Take one'

[~*Take a piece of candy?*~](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11513592/chapters/25839285#~)

  6~

You pop a piece of the sugary treat into your mouth. ' _very un-licorice like_.' You decide, sucking away as a glint if yellow light catches your eye, peeking at you through the leaves.

You practically dive for it, rustling to uncover the precious artifact.

[~*✧*~](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11513592/chapters/25840422#~)

  7~

This one is no different than the last one. You still aren’t able to pick it up, and for now you feel pretty much the same as you did before you touched it, but at least you know there are more of these scattered around in case of an emergency.

You kick a few leaves disappointedly, nearly hitting a tiny shivering bug, name tag 'Whimsun', before you notice it. You move to apologize to the poor thing, but halfway through your first word, they burst into tears and run away.

“Ookaayy…” You look back a the Froggit, who shrugs nonchalantly.

You hardly get a single puzzle done, which was less of a puzzle and more of a mandatory trip through the crumbling ground to the floor below, when Toriel rings you.

[~*Cell phone*~](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11513592/chapters/25840770#~)

  8~

You giggle as you hang up the phone. You assume she’s making some sort of pastry, but if she wanted to make a certain flavor, she should have just asked about that one.

The amount of puzzles you’re going through is becoming tedious, though none of them have been particularly dangerous (except for the talking rock who moved off of the pressure plate you asked it to go on. It nearly had you impaled by spikes before it finally sat long enough for you to get across). You are very much ready to get out of this mountain, but it’s difficult to do with this ghost blocking your path. It looks to be sleeping, but where most people would snore, this ghost keeps saying 'z' out loud repeatedly, pretending to sleep.

You clear your throat, 'z'. You say hello, 'z'. You tell them you need to get through, 'z'. You even say please, 'z'. Eventually, you wonder if this is just a sound dead ghosts make, if a ghost could even be dead. You look around for a stick, finding a short sturdy one. You creep up to the ghost and gently graze it with the tip of the stick, and it finally stands, or rather, floats, and begins to sob loudly.

“WAIT!” You plead. “I’m sorry!!” But it seems you’re too late. Tendrils of red are already snaking from your chest, indicating another fight you don’t want to have. You try to keep the kind Froggit's words in mind, attempting to talk the ghost down with a joke before you are attacked.

“What do baby ghosts wear on their feet?”

He looks up at you, interested.

“Booties!” You knock the punchline out of the park. You’re proud enough you manage a snort, even though you’re afraid.

“heh.. heh” The laugh isn’t enthusiastic, but it’s there, and you aren’t being pelted by whatever array of ghostly weapons they have. “let me try…” The tears begin to flow upward, forming into a charming top hat on their ethereal head. “i call it ‘dapper blook’. do you like it…” They ask with more eagerness and emotion than you’ve seen since you met them.

With all honesty, it’s one of the coolest things you’ve ever seen. “I love it.” You muster as bright of a smile as you can handle.

“oh gee...  
i usually come to the ruins because there’s nobody around...  
but today i met somebody nice...  
...  
oh, i'm rambling again  
i’ll get out of your way” You watch as they disappear into the ectosphere.

There are only two ways to go from here.

[~*Left*~](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11513592/chapters/25842219#~)      [~*Forward*~](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11513592/chapters/25842279#~)

 

* * *

 

 

9~ 

You stand at your hundredth crossroad. No matter how many puzzles you’ve gone through, there always seems to be another one waiting. You just want to take a break, but you aren’t sure what might happen, or who else you may run into if you stop. The next monster may not be so easy to make friends with. You already regretted leaving the spot Toriel told you to stay in an hour ago. At the same time, you don’t want to ask her for help. You can only trust her so far.

Your legs had been carrying you without much thought, and a Froggit sits along the wall. You approach with a friendly wave, and it croaks.

“Have you seen a… a woman named Toriel around here?”

He nods, guttural voice building itself for speech. “Just between you and me… I saw her come out of here just a little while ago.” He motions to the opening at the end of the hall. “She was carrying some groceries.”

“Groceries?” You question.

“Yup. I didn’t asked her what they were for…” He replies rather lazily. “We’re all too intimidated to talk to her.” A slick of slime runs out of his mouth and down his chin.

You nod. “Hey, thanks! I’ve been looking all over for her.”

“No problem, human.”

You take a quick look into the area she came from. In the distance is a small village with several stores and homes. A metallic glint catches the corner of your eye, and you scoop the offending item from the floor. It’s a small, dull knife, most likely a toy or safety knife made of hard, sturdy plastic, for children. It could still be dangerous if you played too rough with it, or purposefully tried to hurt someone, but it could definitely be useful. You stick it on your pocket and head to the other tine in the fork.

A thick black tree, bare of leaves, looms in front of you. Toriel’s worried voice rounds the trunk of it hurriedly.

“Oh dear, that took longer than I thought it would.” Her phone is in her paw, and yours emits a single ring, startling her into noticing you. “How did you get here, my child? Are you hurt?” She pinches your chin, turning your face and pulling back the long sleeves of your striped purple shirt to examine your arms. “Not a scratch… Impressive! But still... I should not have left you alone for so long. It was irresponsible to try to surprise you like this.

“Surprise me?” The question leaves excitedly, and she looks staggered by it.

“Err... Well, I suppose I cannot hide it any longer. Come, small one!” She brightens, trotting into the cozy looking house which sits behind the tree.

A new star greets you, and you tap it, as you always have the urge to do.

[~*✧*~](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11513592/chapters/25847331#~)

10~ 

Whatever the surprise Toriel planned for you is, you hope it has something to do with the sweet aroma wafting from the open door. It only grows stronger when you step inside, and your empty stomach protests for whatever it is.

“Do you smell that?” Toriel smiles giddily as you nod along with your audible organ. “Surprise! It is a butterscotch-cinnamon pie. I thought we might celebrate your arrival. I want you to have a nice time living here, so I will hold off on snail pie for tonight.”

You can’t say you aren’t happy to not eat snails, but you’re honestly hungry enough to give it a try.

“Here, I have another surprise for you.” She guides you down the hall to the right, stopping in front of a closed door. “This is it... A room of your own. I hope you like it!” She ruffles your hair lovingly before sniffing at the air. “Is something burning...?” She smiles down at you with mild panic. “Um, make yourself at home.” She rushes back in the direction you came from.

You leave her to tend to the pie, opening the bedroom door and sticking your head inside. It’s rather small, with a twin bed on the right wall, along with some stuffies and a toy box full of toys you aren’t really interested in. There’s an armoire, a shoe shelf with several different sized shoes, and a crudely drawn picture of a flower on the wall above a lamp. It almost seems as if other children have been here before.

That thought definitely creeps you out.

You poke at the bed before laying on it to try it out. You don’t even remember falling asleep.

 

* * *

 

 _Eenie meenie miney mo_  
_Where did little Frisky go?_  
_You left someone behind, you know_  
_You better hurry back_

You jerk up, scrambling out of the foreign covers and staggering to find a light. You come into contact with the lamp at the other side of the room, almost knocking it down before you manage to turn it on. You huff, pushing your bangs up your forehead, a light sheen of sweat covering you.

' _Tallulah isn’t here_.' You breathe. ' _I’m still stuck inside this damn mountain. How long was I out for_? ' You shove your hand into your pocket and fish out your phone. It’s noon the next day. A slice of pie sits on the ground in a sealed container, presumably waiting for you to eat it. You wonder if it might be better to try and save it, and see if there’s anything else you can eat for now.

There are several rooms down the hall to your left as you exit your own.

[~*Explore*~](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11513592/chapters/25856265#~)

11~ 

You walk toward the living area, past a railing with stairs leading downward, and into a living room. It’s empty. A fire crackles in the hearth on the northern wall. It isn’t hot, but pleasantly warm. You could even touch it directly. A large, cozy char sits nestled beside it. You trail along the books in the shelf of the comfortable reading corner.

[~*Bookshelf*~](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11513592/chapters/25856877#~)

  12~

Toriel shuffles up behind you, placing a paw on your shoulder and drawing your attention away from the literature. “You are awake, young one. Are you hungry?”

“Yes.” You answer, neck craned up at her.

“Splendid! We can have some pie together. Please, have a seat. I will bring it out.”

She disappears into the kitchen, and you hop into a chair at the dining table, which sits in the south west corner of the room. After a few minutes, a plate is set in front of you, along with a fork. You dip the utensil into the silky pastry, removing a modest chunk and placing it into your mouth.

It's the best thing you’ve ever tasted in your life. So much so that you swear you can hear a choir singing Hallelujah Chorus in the background, until Toriel’s voice softly dismantles the illusion.

“How is it, young one?” She asks enthusiastically.

“It’s…” You wipe a tear from your eye. “Amazing.”

She claps her paws together, ecstatic. “I am so happy you are enjoying it!...  
Oh! I do not believe I have gotten your name, my child.” She flushes.

You look at her, an awkwardly large bite in your mouth, which you now must attempt to swallow quickly so you can answer her. This ends with an uncomfortable lump in your throat, and you sounding a lot like a Froggit while choking out 'Frisk'.

“Oh!” She chuckles, scooting a glass of water toward you.

You hadn’t noticed it before, you were so enamored by the pie. You happily grab it, gulping it down.

She giggles. “Um, I want you to know how glad I am to have someone here. There are so many old books I want to share. I want to show you my favorite bug-hunting spot. I’ve also prepared a curriculum for your education.”

You focus on the pie, trying to ignore the fact that she seems to want to keep you here.

“This may come as a surprise to you…  
But I have always wanted to be a teacher.”

You snicker into one of your last few bites.

“… actually, perhaps that isn’t very surprising.” She looks you over fondly. “STILL. I am glad to have you living here.”

You pause setting your fork on your plate and staring at your last bite of pie. You contemplate your words carefully while Toriel is distracted by eating.

“Toriel?” You finally manage.

“What is it, Frisk?” She chimes.

“… when can I go home…?”

“What?” Her fork plops down on her plate. “This… this IS your home now. Um,” She stands, walking toward the fireplace. “Would you like to hear about this book I am reading?” She lifts it from the arm of the comfy chair. “It is called ‘72 Uses for Snails'. How about it?” She sits back at the table, opening to her bookmark.

You smile kindly, the light air of anxiety behind it. “Sure.”

“Here is an exciting snail fact. Did you know that snails…  
Sometimes flip their digestive systems as they mature?”

“Interesting.” You try to act genuinely surprised. “… may I be excused?”

She nods. You can tell she’s still suspicious, but you don’t really care. You scoot out of the chair, heading to the room she dedicated to you. You rustle around the toy box, trying to find a play satchel or backpack. When that doesn’t pan out, you open the closet. There are several shirts in different colors, but every one of them is striped, just as yours is. You cringe and pull out the sturdiest one you can find, a thick, yellow and green striped sweater.

You slice strips along the bottom and down the long sleeves, braiding them tightly. The neck hole is a small opening, but it works well enough, and it might help keep things from falling out if you have to dodge around. You take everything out of your pockets and toss it in the tote, save the ribbon, which you tie in your hair to replace the now unneeded bandage.

[~*Inventory*~](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11513592/chapters/25856976#~)

  13~

You take a deep breath, tossing the sack over your shoulder and doing a small jog in place to untangle some nerves. There's only one logical way you can think to escape the Ruins, and that is to ask Toriel how to leave. Judging by her former reaction, you’re almost positive it won’t go well.

You approach the fireside chair slowly and quietly, as if greeting a rabid animal, and wait patiently for her to lower her book.

She studies your intentions from above the rim of her glasses. “What is it?”

You can feel the tension sparking like electricity. It hurts to be present in times like these. There’s so much you want to say, but in the moment, those silent seconds feel far too drawn, and you’re forced to choose the most important words, or risk losing what little impact you can muster.

“How do I leave the ruins?”  
It’s a simple enough question, though obtaining the answer is anything but.

“… I have to do something. Stay here.” She rushes past you, practically sprinting to the staircase in the entryway. You charge after her, catching her at the bottom.

She halts as your footsteps alert her to your whereabouts. You walk up behind her, but she refused to face you. Her tone is ominous. “You wish to know how to return ‘home,’ do you not?”

You don’t give her an answer. Her sudden change in mannerism frightens you, and a lump forms in your throat.

She obliges you anyway. “Ahead of us lies the end of the ruins. A one-way exit to the rest of the underground. I am going to destroy it. No one will ever be able to leave again. Now be a good child and go upstairs.” You watch her move down the musty passageway, making it several feet before you find your voice.

“WAIT!” You spring forward.

She holds her position, keeping to the cold demeanor.

“What do you mean… no one can leave? … why would you want that?” You seek breathily.

Her lips purse, and her monotone voice chills you. “Every human that falls down here meets the same fate. I have seen it again and again.  
They come.  
They leave.  
They die.  
You naive child... if you leave the ruins...  
They...  
Asgore...  
Will kill you.  
I am only protecting you, do you understand? ... go to your room.”

She leaves again without a word from you, and you begin to boil. You waste no time heeling her. “Would you stop that!?”

She walks faster than you. You have to jog to keep up.

“I said STOP!” You’re met against a crook in the walkway. You can finally see the deadened expression in her bright and lively eyes. You clench your fists and jaw, seething. You don’t know what to ask. Who is Asgore? Who has been killed? Why does she refused to be still for long enough to hear you out? You finally open your mouth, and are met with a sharp, demanding tone.

“Do not try to stop me. This is your final warning.”

You blink at the empty brick before you. You wish you could turn back, but you can’t stay. You can’t stay and let someone you love so dearly be subjected to the same fate you have been. After all, you’re only in this rotting dungeon to find a place where she can taste freedom.

You peek around the corner. She stands before a large set of double doors, staring at them. You slide your bag from your shoulder, setting it against the wall just in case a fight breaks loose. You move cautiously.

Barely noticeably, she shakes. “You want to leave so badly?-”

You cut her off. “I _have_ to leave, Toriel. Let me _go.”_

“Hmph. You are just like the others. There is only one solution to this.” She turns steadily to face you. “Prove yourself... Prove to me you are strong enough to survive.”

“Wh-.. what are you saying!?” By now this feeling is familiar, though no more bearable. You try pushing in the exposed corner of your soul back into your body with your fingers, and an intense, sharp ache pulses through you. “Aahhh! Wait, don’t!”

You panic as you hug your soul loosely to your chest. You take a step back, easily avoiding the trickling puffs of fire which fall from ceiling, but they quickly hasten in speed and number, and you have a difficult time finding the pattern in her attacks.

“Please!” You beg. “I don’t want to!”

Toriel acts aloof, changing the pattern of her attack and causing you to misstep. A row of fireballs scorch your thigh, and a hint of worried anger shows through.

“What are you doing? Attack or run away!" She bites, switching tactics a second time.

The heat was light at first, like passing a finger over a candle, but you’re getting consistently scorched, and the smell of burnt hair begins to permeate the air. In the midst of this struggle, you are filled with determination.

You roll along the floor, stopping short of the fire-licked walls. “I will NOT fight you!!!” You lunge to your feet.

“What are you proving this way? Fight me or leave!” She shouts, swooping an arm through the air as she grants you one of her short-lived breaks.

“What are YOU proving?” Jump back. “Traitor!”

She looks hurt. Good. Lunge, somersault. You try to look defiant. You try to look angry. You look just as pained as she does.

“Stop it. Stop looking at me that way.” She eases up. It’s easy to avoid her.

You hold eye contact. You want her to feel as bare and hurt as you do. You want her to see what she’s doing.

She isn’t even trying to hit you anymore. “I know you want to go home, but... but please... go upstairs now. I promise I will take good care of you here.” She smiles weakly as the last of her attacks dissipate along the brick.

Tears begin to trail down your smoked cheeks, clearing soot.

“I know we don’t have much, but... we can have a good life here.”

“You already know that isn't possible.” It would be cold, if not for all the burns.

“Why are you making this so difficult?”

As still as you try to remain, your voice wavers. “You could never understand.”

“Please, go upstairs.”

“Please,” You almost mimic. “Let. Me. Go.”

A strained laugh. “Pathetic, is it not? I cannot save even a single child.”

“I’m not trying to hurt you, Toriel.” Despite your restraint, your voice begs forgiveness.

She droops, resigned to your fate, and her own. “No, I understand. You would just be unhappy trapped down here. The ruins are very small once you get used to them. It would not be right for you to grow up in a place like this.” She gives you one last hopeful glance, but you remain steadfast. She drops her eyes to the ground.  
“My expectations...  
My loneliness...  
My fear...  
For you, my child... I will put them aside.” She walks toward you, dropping to eye level. “If you truly wish to leave the ruins... I will not stop you. However, when you leave...” She struggles. “Please do not come back.”

You are stricken in a way that she could never have accomplished with magic.

“I hope you understand.”

She scoops you into a tight embrace, and you savor the loving gesture, as misguided as it is.

“Goodbye, my child.”

Fixated on the door, you hear her hesitate to leave behind you.

“I'll see you again.” You offer in solace.

As always, you are left as your only source of comfort.

 

 

 

 

 

 


	2. Hot Blood on a Cold Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yo  
> Her palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy  
> There's vomit on her sweater already, Paps' spaghetti  
> She's nervous, but on the surface she looks calm and ready  
> To dodge bombs, but she keeps on forgettin'  
> What they wrote down, the dogs growls grow so loud  
> She opens her mouth, but the screams won't come out  
> She's chokin', how, now the lights are goin' out  
> The clocks run out, times up, over, blaow!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning:
> 
> Graphic depictions of violence

Filthy and tear-stained, you pick yourself up. You almost forget your makeshift carrier in the corner. You almost want to leave it, just to be rid of the burden of walking the few feet to get it, but that would be an awful idea. For now, you’ve had enough groveling on the ground, so you grovel in the hallway leading out of the Ruins.

Your soul still aches, and your hair is frayed at the edges where the fire singed small pieces. You almost feel like Hansel and Gretel, escaping from the hungry witch with how charred you smell.

You slow at the edge of the corridor where an eerily familiar looking scene greets you.

' _Here lies Frisk_ ,' You ponder your epitaph. ' _weaker than a flower, and simpler, too._ '

It smiles a gaudy type of grin as you approach it without hesitance.

“Clever. Verrrryyy clever. You think you’re really smart, don’t you?”

You let the plant have its moment. Maybe it won't kill you if you let it think it’s winning.

“In this world, it’s kill or be killed. So you were able to play by your own rules. You spared the life of a single person.” It cackles at your weary frame, its verbiage piquing your interest.

Was it somehow expecting you to kill someone? You passed many monsters, but you didn’t _kill_ anyone. Why would you? You aren’t a murderer.

“I bet you feel really great. You didn’t kill anybody this time. But what will you do if you meet a relentless killer? You’ll die and you’ll die and you’ll die until you tire of trying. What will you do then? Will you kill out of frustration? Or will you give up entirely on this world…  
…and let ME inherit the power to control it?”

You try to hold your tongue. You don’t want to provoke it, but what it says makes no sense to you. This time? Like it’s a game, and you can start again, mowing down anyone who dare stand in your path?

Words leave your mouth despite your resistance. “What are you talking about?”

“You'll find out soon enough, my little monarch.” It sits smugly in the dirt with its knowledge dangling just out of reach.

You have a feeling you never want to find out what it’s hiding.

“I am the prince of this world’s future.” His prideful front demands attention to his distorted visage. Your eyes are saucers of confusion and fear. “Don’t worry, my plan isn’t regicide. This is SO much more interesting.”

His sound encompasses you again with that demonic yowl, and his petals sink into his skin, his head ballooning into something that is clearly not a flower, as the earth swallows him. He truly did rise from the depths of hell, and you aren’t surprised in the least.

You step to the previously occupied patch of crust, staring down at the churned sod. It’s obvious, the spot he sat and waited for you. Your foot lightly brushes the crumbs of dirt, steadily increasing pressure as a heated rage seeps into your heart. If you could, you would dig through. You would dig through and rip him from his roots, then you would take this demon to face the true devil. That would be simple enough for you to do. You live with it.

 

* * *

 

Icy wisps of carbon dioxide escape you as the cold punches air from your lungs. The long sleeves of your oversized sweater offer little relief. You curl in on yourself, wishing you hadn’t closed the door behind you, just so you could spend a few more minutes in the dank warmth. You glance at the snow-covered bush next to you, mulling over whether plants emit enough warmth to make a difference in your temperature. Something unnaturally black pokes out of a bush from beneath tampered snow. You move in to inspect it.

[~*Inspect*~](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11513592/chapters/26062887#~)

0~

What you find is a slight shock, and it lends to the air of creepiness that only frigid winter woods can provide. You’re hard pressed to find a reason that anyone would need to hide cameras in the bushes of a forest. You scoop frozen flakes into your already frosting fingers, tightly packing them onto the little spy cam. Get out of here. It's too cold to stick around and search for cameras.

Your footsteps crunch atop quintillions of crystalline formations, breath trailing behind you as it freezes and sifts to the ground. You cup a sleeve-covered hand over your nose in a lame endeavor to heat the air before it enters your lungs. A knee height branch blockades the path some minutes down the trail. You hop onto it, and leap off, attempting to exercise warmth into your rigged limbs.

A violent detonation from behind. The branch that so easily held your body’s weight a moment ago, shattered.

Is Flowey fucking with you?

You wouldn’t put it past him, but that skidding from behind, that thick, dark figure in the shadows, doesn’t look like a flower. Faster now, to the bridge. Like hiding under the covers, you feel getting there will dub you 'safe'.

It’s gaining. Run harder.

One more step!

 

“ **H u m a n.** ”

It isn’t the demon-flower’s voice. Deep and raspy, plus the accent is different. Your hair stands on end, almost levitating from your body.

“ **D o n ' t   y o u   k n o w   h o w   t o   g r e e t   a   n e w   p a l ?   T u r n   a r o u n d   a n d   s h a k e   m y   h a n d.** ”

You comply, methodically. The figure, not much taller than yourself comparatively, is shrouded in shadow. A wide, toothy grin is made out, and hollowed sockets in the downturned face. Your trembling fingers reach out, hovering unsteadily. Your chilled skin makes note of the fabric-covered phalanges, and then:

_pppPP **PFFFFFFFTTTTTTTTTHHH** HHhh_

You fixate on your clasped fingers. “Di… did you just…?”

“heheh... the old whoopee cushion in the hand trick. it’s ALWAYS funny.”

You blink, sliding off his glove without thinking, and reveal bleach-white bone and a small red balloon.

A smile twitches on the corner of your mouth. A giggle rises in your throat. You suppose things like whoopee cushion-wielding skeletons shouldn’t surprise you anymore, but…

You’re laughing way too hard, even considering the circumstances. You clutch your hiccupping abdomen, water at the edges of your eyes turning solid.

What was once a prideful look on your interlocutor's skull turns to question, then concern.

“you alright there, kid?”

You nod, bent and huffing. Occasional chuckles escape as he shrugs apathetically.

“okay, then. anyways, you’re a human, right?”

It’s a 'yes' from you.

“that’s hilarious. i’m sans. sans the skeleton.”

Introduce yourself. You almost extend your hand again, which elicits a snort from you both.

The blue-jacketed skeleton nods lazily. “i’m actually supposed to be on watch for humans right now. but... y’know...  
i don’t really care about capturing anybody.” He doesn’t give you time to speak. “now my brother, papyrus... he’s a human-hunting FANATIC. hey, actually, i think that’s him over there.”

A small red dot hovers on the horizon.

“i have an idea. go through this gate thingy.”

You point toward the bridge.

“yeah, go right through. my bro made the bars too wide to stop anyone.”

That’s an understatement. You thought they were support beams, not bars. Your new 'friend' follows shortly behind. There's a station of some sort, and a lamp for no reason.

“quick, behind that conveniently-shaped lamp.”

You follow instructions, as the brother is getting close, and what other option do you have? Only after you move behind it do you realize what was meant by 'conveniently shaped'.

' _How in the love of blue buffaloes?_ '

This is YOUR profile. Not anyone else’s, YOUR'S. How this skeleton managed to sculpt and fire a lamp in the time it took you to walk here, you’ll never know, but you’d chalk it up to more than just 'convenience'.

“sup, bro?” Sans is only background noise to the lithe and gigantic armor-clad bone beast in huge red boots and a waving fire-engine cape.

It’s probably a risk to peek out like this. Get back behind the lamp. You don’t want to tango with a dude that tall.

“YOU KNOW 'SUP,' BROTHER! IT’S BEEN EIGHT DAYS AND YOU STILL HAVEN’T...  
RECALIBRATED.  
YOUR.  
PUZZLES!  
YOU JUST HANG AROUND OUTSIDE YOUR STATION! WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING?!?” His voice is loud. Like, constantly speaking through a megaphone loud, and has a very fitting 'Skeletor' quality to it. Evil villain material.

You remember that your probably the villain here, according to that book at Toriel’s house, and the fact that most people try to attack you on sight.

“staring at this lamp. it's really cool. do you wanna look?”

So the lamp _is_ a new thing.

Wait…  
Is he trying to out you?

“NO!! I DON’T HAVE TIME FOR THAT!!!” Papyrus stomps with a fit. “WHAT IF A HUMAN COMES THROUGH HERE!?! I WANT TO BE READY!!! I WILL BE THE ONE! I MUST BE THE ONE! I WILL CAPTURE A HUMAN!” A breeze wraps elegantly around him as he straightens. “THEN, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL GET ALL THE THINGS I UTTERLY DESERVE!  
RESPECT...  
RECOGNITION...  
I WILL FINALLY BE ABLE TO JOIN THE ROYAL GUARD!  
PEOPLE WILL ASK, TO, BE MY, 'FRIEND?'  
I WILL BATHE IN A SHOWER OF KISSES EVERY MORNING.”

“hmm... maybe this lamp will help you.”

Maybe your hiding spot isn't as safe as it feels right now.

“YOU ARE NOT HELPING!! YOU LAZYBONES!!”

Then again…

“ALL YOU DO IS SIT AND BOONDOGGLE! YOU GET LAZIER AND LAZIER EVERY DAY!!!”

“hey, take it easy. i’ve gotten a ton of work done today. a skele- _ton_.”

You can practically hear the drum kick.

“SANS!!!”

Those giggles never fully exited the belly.

“come on. you’re smiling.”

Deep breath.

“I AM AND I HATE IT!” He tromps.

 _Quiet_ deep breath.

“WHY DOES SOMEONE AS GREAT AS ME HAVE TO DO SO MUCH JUST TO GET SOME RECOGNITION...”

You risk another look.

“wow, sounds like you’re really working yourself...  
down to the _bone_.” _Wink._

' _Damn it, you cheeky bastard_ ' You cover your grin with neck fabric.

“UGH!!! I WILL ATTEND TO MY PUZZLES... AS FOR YOUR WORK? PUT A LITTLE MORE, 'BACKBONE' INTO IT!!!  
NYEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE!!!”

You crouch a little further behind the lamp as he leaves. 'crap, he's coming back.'

“HEH!”

… that's it? Well, he's gone again so…

“ok, you can come out now.”

Immediately, black fluff is tossed into your face.

“take this.” After the fact. Thanks.

You shove on the grey hoodie. Black fluff lines the entire inside layer, even the pockets. It's warm, too. You look up to thank him, and he accosts you with that menacing glower.

“you oughta get going. he might come back. and if he does...  
...you’ll have to sit through more of my hilarious jokes.” _Wink._

“Oh.” You deadpan. He snickers at his own joke. You fumble around, surveying your surroundings instead of moving on. Maybe you're crazy, but the looming threat of jokes doesn't really get to you. Papyrus, however…

[~*Lamp*~](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11513592/chapters/26062968#~)     [~*Station*~](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11513592/chapters/26063007#~)

1~

“what's the holdup? look, there’s nothin to be afraid of. it’s just a dark cavern filled with skeletons and horrible monsters.” _Wink._

Scoff. You suppose you were warned. Guess it’s time to go.

“actually, hey... hate to bother ya, but can you do me a favor?”

' _no guarantees me gusta_.' it's best not to think aloud. You don’t want to provoke anyone.

“i was thinking... my brother’s been kind of down lately... he’s never seen a human before. and seeing you might just make his day.”

“…”

“don’t worry, he’s not dangerous. even if he tries to be.”

“Umm…” ' _This is a horrible idea_.' “Sure. It's the least I could do after the sweater, I guess.”

Sans’ smile looks just a touch more real than it had earlier. You hadn’t even noticed the strain, maybe because of his bone structure. “thanks a million. i’ll be up ahead.” He proceeds to walk back where you came from. Last time you checked, 'ahead' was in the other direction. Whatever. You’re instantly distracted by a bright yellow sheen. ' _Ooh, a star_!'

[~*✧*~](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11513592/chapters/26063046#~)

2~

You feel warm throughout, now. You kind of don't want to let it go, But you have to. There’s a box with a sign next to it, sitting nonchalantly in the middle of a forest.

[~*Sign*~](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11513592/chapters/26063091#~)

3~

You open it to find some pink biker gloves. There aren’t any fingers in the gloves, but at least they cover something. You toss the bandage in the box, mostly to test out whether it will still be there later on. The only thing northward is a [~*fishing rod*~](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11513592/chapters/26063193#~), so East it is.

4~

You pause when you see a familiar blue dot next to a imposing red one. You swear you never saw Sans pass by, but maybe he did it while you were messing with the fishing rod.

Papyrus's shouting is perfectly audible before they are even fully visible. You scoot over cautiously. “SO, AS I WAS SAYING ABOUT UNDYNE,” He freezes, jaw hanging open as he gawks at you. He then turns to his brother, who is looking at you, before they switch gazes. Soon, they’re making such a show of turning back and forth, they’re spinning in circles. You’re nearly to the point of dizziness when they finally land on you before turning away.

“SANS!! OH MY GOD!! IS THAT...  
A HUMAN?!?!??!?!”

They face you. “uhhhh... actually, I think that’s a rock.”

“Huh?” you glance over your shoulder to where Sans thumbs. There's a small rock behind you.

“OH.”

He believes his brother so easily. This isn't quite what you were expecting from the exchange.

“hey, what’s that in front of the rock?”

“OH MY GOD!!!” He leans over to Sans. “(IS... IS THAT A HUMAN)” He makes an attempt at whispering.

“(yes)”

“OH MY GOD!!! SANS! I FINALLY DID IT!! UNDYNE WILL... I’M GONNA... I’LL BE SO...  
POPULAR!!!  
POPULAR!!!  
POPULAR!!!”

Why are you smiling? This is probably very bad.

“... ‘AHEM’  
HUMAN! YOU SHALL NOT PASS THIS AREA! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL STOP YOU!!! I WILL THEN CAPTURE YOU! YOU WILL BE DELIVERED TO THE CAPITAL!  
THEN...  
THEN!!!  
I’M NOT SURE WHAT’S NEXT.” He pauses thoughtfully.  
“IN ANY CASE! CONTINUE ONLY IF YOU DARE!!!  
NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!!!” He sprints off, presumably to create traps to capture you with.

“well, that went well. don’t sweat it, kid. i’ll keep an eyesocket out for ya.” _Wink._ He catches up with his brother, not even giving you a chance to yell at him.

What exactly did you get yourself into? You’re too damn nice, Frisk.

[~*Box*~](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11513592/chapters/26063259#~)

5~

 

* * *

 

'Absolutely NO MOVING!!!'  
You’re reading the post, but you aren’t entirely sure what it means. No moving? How is that supposed to work? Is it a trap by Papyrus to get you to stay in one spot and freeze to death?

Either way, you aren’t staying here. There’s a very clear place you need to be, and this isn’t it.

At least, that was your plan, until a sniffing pooch snoot shoots from the sentry station next to you, before you can even make it past.

“Did something move? Was it my imagination?” 'Doggo' twitches nervously.

You should probably heed that sign.

“I can only see moving things.”

That’s extremely strange. How bad is his eyesight?

“If something WAS moving... for example, a human...  
I’ll make sure it NEVER moves again!”

Oh my gosh. He’s so small. And also, not threatening in the least. In fact, as a person who truly loves animals of any type, it’s excessively difficult not to pet such an unfortunate and blind pup as this.

He's even more nervous, now. “What?! I’ve been pet!”

Was that a bad idea? It’s too late you move your hand from behind his ear without him seeing.

“Where’s that coming from?”

Maybe you should have asked before molesting him…  
Oh, good. He’s looking away now. You can safely remove your hand, but the one legged, ballerina balancing act remains.

“S-s-s-something pet me... Something that isn’t m-m-moving...  
I’m gonna need some dog treats for this!!!” He sinks beneath the lip of his posts window.

You wonder if you should apologize, but think the better of it. Poor thing probably needs some alone time.

[~*Explore*~](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11513592/chapters/26063388#~)

6~

 

* * *

 

You’re trying to find a comfortable space to nestle the snowman piece, when a new obstacle has found you.

… maybe not new so much as

“YOU'RE SO LAZY!! YOU WERE NAPPING ALL NIGHT!!”

“i think that's called… sleeping.”

“EXCUSES, EXCUSES!”

They’ve noticed you.

“OH- HO! THE HUMAN ARRIVES!” Papyrus brightens instantly.  
“IN ORDER TO STOP YOU, MY BROTHER AND I HAVE CREATED SOME PUZZLES! I THINK YOU WILL FIND THIS ONE...  
QUITE SHOCKING!!!”

Considering this place's intense fascination with puns, you suspect a very negative experience is about to happen.

“FOR YOU SEE, THIS IS THE INVISIBLE...  
ELECTRICITY MAZE!!!”

Well, that was worse than you thought.

“WHEN YOU TOUCH THE WALLS OF THIS MAZE, THIS ORB WILL ADMINISTER A HEARTY ZAP!” A bright blue sphere is nestled in his hand. “SOUND LIKE FUN??? BECAUSE! THE AMOUNT OF FUN YOU WILL PROBABLY HAVE, IS ACTUALLY RATHER SMALL I THINK.”

He thinks…?

“OKAY, YOU CAN GO AHEAD NOW.” He sticks the orb in his pocket.

You look at Sans. It’s hard to tell what he’s thinking with that constant boney grin on his chompers.

“Uh… what about-”

“COME ON! DON'T BE RUDE!!! I SET UP THIS PUZZLE JUST FOR YOU!”

At least you’re confident you won’t be electrocuted. Don’t go and ruin a good thing. You take a few steps forward. Oh my…  
Hearty almost seems like an understatement. Is electricity supposed to be visible to the naked eye?

Papyrus shakes away his new layer of char. “SANS!!! WHAT DID YOU DO?!?!” He stomps like an insolent child. It was your own fault, dude.

“i think the human has to hold the orb.”

Fuck you, Sans. Fuck you.

“OH, OKAY.” Papyrus walks through the maze, his footprints indenting the snow.

“HOLD THIS PLEASE!” You catch the orb as he runs back to the start. “OKAY, TRY NOW.”

… he probably doesn’t realize he gave you the solution, but it’s for the best. You follow the footprints, obviously, because why would you go and purposefully shock yourself?

“INCREDIBLE!! YOU SLIPPERY SNAIL!! YOU SOLVED IT SO EASILY… TOO EASILY!”

Sure…

“HOWEVER!! THE NEXT PUZZLE WILL NOT BE EASY! IT IS DESIGNED BY MY BROTHER, SANS! YOU WILL SURELY BE CONFOUNDED! I KNOW I AM! NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!!”

You aren’t entirely positive what you just witnessed. “Did… did he just moonwalk away?”

Sans’ only shrugs, and there’s a moment of silence commemorating the amazing exit. He sighs. “hey, thanks. my brother seems like he's having fun.”

You nod. Wonderful. Deadly skeletons enjoying their time playing with their prey. These are truly your life goals.

“by the way, did you see that weird outfit he's wearing?”

“No.” You deadpan. “I find you far more distracting. I’ve been staring at you the whole time.”

“heh, i'm flattered, kid.” He snorts. “anyway, we made that a few weeks ago for a costume party. he hasn't worn anything else since… keeps calling it his 'battle body.'”

You stifle laughter. This must be one of those 'only I can speak about my brother this way' moments.

“man. isn't my brother cool?”

You aren’t sure if that was sarcasm, but pap kind of is cool in a weird way. “Sure. He’s pretty funny, and also hasn’t _exactly_ tried to kill me yet…” You aren’t so keen on the voltage of that maze, but death didn’t seem to be the intention. “Honestly, I’m a lot more threatened by you.”

Did you just hurt his feelings?

“c’mon kid, I've been helping you out haven't i? what's with the _cold_ shoulder?”

You shrug. Time to backpedal. “You have been, it just _feels_ like you wish you weren’t for some reason.” You shove your hands in your sweater, only to be met with a crumbly, scratchy block. You pull a piece of toast from your pocket, blinking absently.

“that sweater toasty enough for ya?”

You stare dumbly before guffawing and slipping the crusty bread into his phalanges. “We should probably get going. Wouldn’t want to keep your _bread-_ er waiting!”

“heh. nice one!”

[~*Explore*~](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11513592/chapters/26070891#~)

7~

There isn’t a lot of space between puzzles. Honestly, you could use more time for your ears to adjust to the significant change in volume required for Papyrus to speak.

“HUMAN!!! I HOPE YOU’RE READY FOR…  
SANS!! WHERE’S THE PUZZLE!!!" He’s quite unsatisfied with the lack of trappings. Maybe the secret is in the sheet of paper laying on the ground in front of you.

“it's right there. on the ground.” Yup. The paper. “trust me. there's no way they can get past this one.”

They wait, Papyrus in a state of anticipation.

You pick up the sheet, on which there is a children’s crossword. For some reason you feel compelled to actually solve a couple before setting it down and joining the brothers.

“SANS!!! THAT DIDN’T DO ANYTHING!”

“whoops. i knew i should have used today's crossword instead.”

“WHAT!? CROSSWORD!? I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU SAID THAT!!” The taller skeleton is obviously insulted by crosswords. “IN MY OPINION, JUNIOR JUMBLE IS EASILY THE HARDEST!”

“what? really, dude? that easy-peasy word scramble? that's for baby bones.”

Pap deadpans. “UN. BELIEVABLE. HUMAN!!! SOLVE THIS DISPUTE!” His excitement is permeable. He obviously expects you to take his side.

(Which is harder?)

[~*Jumble*~](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11513592/chapters/26073066#~)     [~*Crossword*~](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11513592/chapters/26073102#~)

8~

You’re still laughing about poor Papyrus' 'horoscope' situation when the oddest setup catches your eye. Of course, you dive for the star on the ground first thing, because you’re cold, and still a little sore from Snowdrake's ice-frisbee-knife things.

[~*✧*~](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11513592/chapters/26073246#~)

[~*Explore*~](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11513592/chapters/26073327#~)

9~

You giggle at the letter. You kind of wish you could try the spaghetti, but as frozen as it is, you don’t think you could even get the fork off the plate. It’s too bad there's no plug-in for the microwave. It would be the perfect fit for this situation.

You warm up at the star one last time. It’s best you move on.

[~*Sign*~](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11513592/chapters/26073681#~)

10~

Fluffy snow scatters beneath your feet. Crude markings are uncovered, and a red 'X' in the upper-right hand corner. This must be a map of the spike-deactivation switch. They jut from the ground far too high for you to step over them.

You pop back up to the Northeast corner of this small patch of ground. A small white pup named Lesser Dog appears before you, welding a stone dogger made of pomer-granite. For some reason you strongly feel that your only option is to pet it. You barely lift your hand and Lesser Dog gets excited.

'… did I just see that?'

You have to pet them again, just to be sure.

You did see it. This dog’s neck is getting longer the more you pet it. This is unsettling, and the dog is already overexcited, so you make the deliberate choice to scoot right past them and find that switch.

[~*Switch*~](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11513592/chapters/26073732#~)

11~

Lucky you, it was partially uncovered already. You wave to Lesser Dog, and are nearly pommeled by them, just for the simple gesture.

You giggle awkwardly, sliding out of frame. Things have been peaceful this chapter, and you’re thankful for that. There have only been a few monsters in Snowdin, and they’ve been largely easy to befriend.

Except for Jerry.

Fuck Jerry.

Lost in your thoughts is never a good place to be, and you begin to realize that, as two black-cloaked individuals approach, aggressively.

“What’s that smell?”  
“(Where’s that smell?)” They echo each other in an eerie manner.

“If you’re a smell...”  
“(...Identify yoursmellf!)” They sniff throughout the area, and you remain still with fear. Maybe they’re blind like the last dog was?

They've found you... “Hmmm... Here’s that weird smell... It makes me want to eliminate.”  
“(...Eliminate YOU!)”

The draping hoods are lifted from their faces, and botched are your hopes that they’re unable to see, as the last dog was. The axe-wielding dogs aren’t here to play around. You try to remember what the sign had said, by the couples stations, but there have been so many. There isn’t even time to react to their attacks as they ghost along the air with perfectly-pitched swings. You hardly have a chance to jump away, teetering on toe-tips as they haul their weapons back across your half-fallen form.

They missed your soul.

At first, you feel nothing. In a way, you’re numb to the sharpness of the metal as it slices through skin and ligaments.

The taste, though. The taste is what hits you first. Salty and metallic, warm and wet. It pours from your mouth in a crimson river. When you realize the implication, your brain can no longer ignore the uncanny feel of muscle rubbing together where it should be attached.

You try to scream, but the liquid is heavy in your lungs, and bubbles from your throat at your attempts to push out air.

That isn’t where blood should go.  
This isn’t what should be happening.  
You aren’t ready to die yet.  
This isn’t right.  
You don’t want this.

' _No. no no No NO **NO!!!**_  
_PLEASE! I CAN’T DIE AND LEAVE HER BEHIND!_  
_I DON’T WANNA DIE!_  
**_I DON’T WANNA DIE!!_** '

Your body lands with a thud in the soft, blood-soaked snow. Faded voices wrap like warm cloth against your frigid body.

It’s something about a 'puppy-human'. Something about 'does it mater?'. Something is pulling you up by your arm, but it’s already too late.

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to finish the rest of the rewrite before posting. Please be patient, because it's very time consuming and difficult. I hope it's worth it!


	3. I Hate Panic Attacks but I Love Cinnamon Buns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reader/Frisk has a panic attack at the beginning of this chapter. It isn't graphic, but will be marked with ~********~ at the beginning and end. Don't worry, you won't miss a thing if you don't read it.

A mouse eating hot spaghetti.

Somehow that is your being. Somehow it makes you want to live.

And then you see the mouse running into its hole. The frozen spaghetti from half an hour ago, stuck to the table as it was.

~********~

Adrenaline hits you with the force of a full- speed Mack truck, the impact of it instantly making you tremor violently.

With your last real shred of logic, you climb shakily under the spaghetti-table and curl into a tight ball. You attempt to mentally soothe yourself as you've had to do so many times before, but the sheer panic overtaking your body makes it excessively difficult to think.

Cold sweat breaks over you. Airways constricting. Eyes leaking. Short, shallow wheezing, a barren attempt to intake a feasible amount of oxygen.

The feeling of suffocation overtaking only makes your panic worse.

Black dots slowly overwhelm your vision as your brain is starved of necessary molecules. It has never been this intense before. You have never passed out this quickly.

~********~

You feel a shift in your being. Everything fuzzily blends together, rebuilding the picture of consciousness. An intermittent pressure on your chest propagates your body to resume vital function. You're rolled on your side as you feel yourself hacking and gulping air greedily into your lungs. You are firmly but gently patted on the back.

“that's it, kiddo. deep breaths.”

You recognize the voice. “S-sans?” You huff, still panting heavily.

“yup.” Once you've composed yourself a bit, he takes your hand, helping you to sit up.

You brush snow from your face and side. Disoriented, you search your surroundings. “What happened? What are you doing here?” You look up to him. He's crouched on one knee, arms crossed over the upright leg.

“well…” He waves an ungloved hand nonchalantly. “i was taking a walk. finding some decent patrons for fried snow when i saw you standing there staring at paps’ spaghetti... next thing i know you’re under the table freakin’ out...” He shifts, crossing his legs, into a full sitting position before you. “i've never seen someone so afraid of my bro’s cooking before.” He chuckles heartily.

“Oh… yeah.” You look to the direction of where the two dogs approached you. “It wasn't the spaghetti.” Your voice is hoarse and quiet. You re-zip your sweater, rubbing the sore center of your chest. “Did you do CPR on me or something?”

“seeing as you kinda weren't breathing... yeah.” He shrugs. The two of you sit awkwardly. He fidgets a bit with his hood before speaking. “you okay bud?”

You stare at the ground between yourself and Sans. “I’m fine.” You lie. “Thank you.” The attempted deluding is more for your sake than his.

“right… maybe you should relax a bit. make some show angels... take a load off your mind.” He stands, removing his gloves from his hoodie pocket and shoving them on, then dusting snow from his shorts. You look up at him, somewhat perplexed. “i better catch up with paps.”He thumbs in the direction of the puzzle, soon sauntering off in the opposite.

You sit for a long while, contemplating what happened, and why you are alive.

A far away clicking sound indicates that someone has successfully lowered the obstructing spikes.

 

* * *

 

Unsuspicious smell - Puppy  
**BLUE RATING**  
Smell of rolling around.

You were on your third, strangely relaxing snow angel when the verbiage of the sign reoccurred to you. You pause your angel making in a splayed out position, pondering whether Sans knows of your “rebirth”, or if he is simply trying to make things easier for you after your little display.

 _I’m sure he would know where the other guards are posted._ You reason. _Probably just helping._ You nod in self confirmation.

Flowey’s words have been ringing in your head as well, since you've been calm enough contemplate them. _“You’ll die and you’ll die and you’ll die until you’re tired of trying.”_ Your little resurrection is what he meant by “controlling” this world. You're sure of it. You can definitely see how invincibility and time travel can render a place pretty powerless to your will. You have even less intention of letting a creature like that regain this skill. You shudder to think what he would do. What he _has_ done.

Most of you is relieved to have this capability, though; knowing that you don’t have to hurt anyone to get back to your house, as unpleasant of an experience as partial decapitation was. A tiny speck of you is afraid of what you might do with the ability in such a stress-laden situation. You try not to think about it. Suppression is your answer to everything bad in life. You gave up the other option years ago.

You lift yourself from the angel as carefully as you can, trying not to mess it up too badly. You pick up your bag from next to the table.

Retracing your earlier steps, you find the small, white dog and pet it twice, as you had before. You don't want to change things too much without knowing what will happen. You're grateful that you don't have to walk all the way to the switch, though. You mentally thank Sans for that as you close in on your destination.

Your heart pounds wildly as you step over the lowered spikes. You walk to the center of the circular formation, where the hooded dogs had approached you previously. The sense of dejavu is unreal as they approach aggressively, once again.

“What’s that smell?”  
“(Where’s that smell?)” They take turns speaking.

“If you’re a smell...”  
“(...Identify yoursmellf!)” They begin sniffing around the area before finally finding you. You’re ready for them this time.

“What! Smells like a...”  
“(Are you actually a little puppy!?)”

You exhale in relief as the dogs immediately drop their aggressive stance, opting instead for concerned glances between each other.

Simply because it worked with the other dogs, you pet one.

“Wow!!! Pet by another pup!!!”  
“(Well, don’t leave me out!)” They chime between themselves.

You pet the other. “What about me..............”  
“(A dog that pets dogs. Amazing!)”

“No more guys. I need to go see Papyrus.” You chide. They seem only slightly disappointed, but immediately perk up again at their new discovery.

“Dogs can pet other dogs???”  
“(A new world has opened up for us...)”

“Thanks, weird puppy!”

“You're welcome.” You give a small smile and wave as they scoot away. You can't help but still feel more than a little bitter about the whole slit-throat thing. It's a bit of a shame because they would be pretty cute if you could get past it.

You lightly hold your throat at the memory, running your thumb over where the incision had been. You reach up, lowering your hood and removing the ribbon from your hair, wrapping it twice around your neck. You finish with a small bow at the side. It feels a lot better to have something there. Almost like it's holding you together.

 

* * *

 

“WHAT!? HOW DID YOU AVOID MY TRAP? AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY…  
IS THERE ANY LEFT FOR ME???” Papyrus asks excitedly.

“Um, any what? Oh, spaghetti! Well, I had to leave it… cause…”

“REALLY!? WOWIE…” He looks upset now. “YOU RESISTED THE FLAVOR OF MY HOME COOKED PASTA…”

“Paps I-”

“JUST SO YOU COULD SHARE IT WITH ME???”

You give him a look of surprise. _I'm not sure how I expected anything else._ You think to yourself.

“FRET NOT HUMAN! I, MASTER CHEF PAPYRUS…  
WILL MAKE YOU ALL THE PASTA YOU COULD EVER WANT! HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH NYEH!” He jaunts to the next puzzle, excited at the prospect of future Papyrus making someone spaghetti.

You can't help but smile and giggle. His ambience is just so joyous. A little dose of Papyrus’ antics is just what you need right now.

You quickly follow him, catching up soon after. He turns to you and begins to speak, practically blasting your eardrums out. You've never stood this close to him before.

“MY BROTHER STARTED A SOCK COLLECTION RECENTLY. HOW SADDENING…  
SOMETIMES I WONDER WHAT HE WOULD DO…  
WITHOUT SUCH A COOL GUY TAKING CARE OF HIM???”

“Maybe drown in socks?” You suggest, rubbing your ears, then quickly covering them when you realize you've prompted more speech.

His voice is merely normal shouting volume with them covered. Maybe earmuffs would be a good investment. “I BELIEVE YOU ARE CORRECT, HUMAN! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AM TRULY THE GREATEST OF ALL BROTHERS!!! NYEH HEH HEH!”

You laugh and walk up to the next puzzle, Papyrus close by.

“HUMAN!” He shouts from behind you.  
“HMMM…”

**_How does he hum so loud!?!?_ **

“HOW DO I SAY THIS….  
YOU WERE TAKING A LONG TIME TO ARRIVE, SO…  
I DECIDED TO IMPROVE THIS PUZZLE…  
BY ARRANGING THE SNOW TO LOOK MORE LIKE MY FACE. UNFORTUNATELY, THE SNOW FROZE TO THE GROUND.” He looks annoyed at the snows lack of cooperation. “NOW THE SOLUTION IS DIFFERENT! AND, AS USUAL, MY LAZY BROTHER IS NOWHERE AROUND. I SUPPOSE WHAT I’M SAYING IS…” His cape flows majestically as he takes his heroic stance. “WORRY NOT, HUMAN! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL SOLVE THIS CONUNDRUM! THEN WE CAN BOTH PROCEED! MEANWHILE, FEEL FREE TO TRY THE PUZZLE YOURSELF! I’LL TRY NOT TO GIVE AWAY THE ANSWER!!!”

It looks like a similar setup to a previous, overly simplistic puzzle. Just step on the X’s and turn them to O’s. _Maybe it looks a little like Papyrus._ You muse. You’re finished in a short time.

“WOW!!! YOU SOLVED IT!! AND YOU DID IT WITHOUT MY HELP…  
INCREDIBLE! I’M IMPRESSED!! YOU MUST CARE ABOUT PUZZLES LIKE I DO! WELL, I’M SURE YOU’LL LOVE THE NEXT PUZZLE THEN! IT MIGHT EVEN BE TOO EASY FOR YOU!! NYEH! HEH HEH! HEHEHEH!!!” His long, skeletal legs carry him swiftly away.

Sans was hiding behind the spikes, probably listening the whole time. “good job on solving it so quickly. you didn't even need my help. which is great, ‘cause I love doing absolutely nothing.”

“You’re welcome.” You smirk. “I'm sure you appreciate it after I made you work so hard earlier.” Your smile falters a bit. You cringe internally at your words. _That was a no speak moment! Why can't you ever keep your thoughts to yourself, idiot._

“hey, that was no problem, kid.” He arches his brow bone at you.

You quickly nod and walk off before you say something stupid again.

You’re getting used to Sans ending up in front of you as soon as your back is turned. Papyrus is ready and waiting in anticipation for this puzzle.

“HEY! IT’S THE HUMAN! YOU’RE GONNA LOVE THIS PUZZLE! IT WAS MADE BY THE GREAT DR. ALPHYS! YOU SEE THESE TILES!?" A large, rectangular display of small, grey tiles in various shades is spread before you. "ONCE I THROW THIS SWITCH…" He points to a machine which stands next to him at the other end of the puzzle. It looks to be similar to an old desktop computer in construction.  
"THEY WILL BEGIN TO CHANGE COLOR! EACH COLOR HAS A DIFFERENT FUNCTION!  
RED TILES ARE IMPASSABLE! YOU CANNOT WALK ON THEM!  
YELLOW TILES ARE ELECTRIC! THEY WILL ELECTROCUTE YOU!  
GREEN TILES ARE ALARM TILES! IF YOU STEP ON THEM… YOU WILL HAVE TO FIGHT A MONSTER!!  
ORANGE TILES ARE ORANGE-SCENTED. THEY WILL MAKE YOU SMELL DELICIOUS!  
BLUE TILES ARE WATER TILES. SWIM THROUGH IF YOU LIKE, BUT… IF YOU SMELL LIKE ORANGES! THE PIRANHAS WILL BITE YOU…”

You get lost in all of the different rules as papyrus goes on about the 5 other rules for the blue tiles, and lemons, and slipping, and _**finally**_ a tile that does nothing. Pink. It's the only thing you remember now.

“HOW WAS THAT!? UNDERSTAND???”

You stare at him blankly and shake your head.

“OKAY… I GUESS I’LL REPEAT MYSELF…” He looks irritated.  
“RED TILES ARE IMPASSABLE. YELLOW TILES ARE ELECTRIC AND DANGEROUS. BLUE TILES MAKE YOU FIGHT A MONSTER. GREEN TILES ARE WATER TILES. ORANGE TILES ARE ORANGE SCENTED. IF YOU STEP ON ORANGE, DON’T STEP ON GREEN. BROWN TILES ARE…  
WAIT!!! THERE ARE NO BROWN TILES…  
PURPLE TILES SMELL LIKE LEMONS… WHY DON’T THE YELLOW ONES SMELL LEMONY? UMM… WAIT!! DID I MIX UP GREEN AND BLUE!? BLUE ONES ARE THE WATER ONES! PINK TILES…I DON’T REMEMBER??? WAIT!!!THOSE ONES DON’T DO ANYTHING. OKAY! DO YOU UNDERSTAND BETTER NOW!?”

“Even less...” You look dumbfounded.

“………. OKAY, YOU KNOW WHAT??? HOW ABOUT…  
YOU JUST…  
DO THIS PUZZLE…  
ON YOUR OWN…  
I’LL LEAVE THE INSTRUCTIONS…  
JUST READ THEM. THEN WHEN YOU UNDERSTAND IT…  
YOU CAN THROW THE SWITCH. AND DO IT AT YOUR OWN PACE. GOOD LUCK.  
NYEH…  
HEH…  
HEH!” He pushes past Sans to leave.

You walk up to the note. You can't even read the illegible chicken scratch. You shove it absent-mindedly in your bag. The machine doesn't work when you try to turn it on.

You look over at Sans, who is obviously holding back laughter. He takes a breath. “actually, that spaghetti earlier… it wasn't too bad for my brother. since he started cooking lessons, he's been improving a lot. i bet if he keeps it up, next year he’ll even make something edible.”

“I guess I'm glad it was frozen, then” You ponder.

 

* * *

 

Knowing that dog will never give up trying to make the perfect snowdog… it fills you with determination! The deer monster you're standing next to momentarily ceases their chuckling for your “save” ( _it is rather like a video game, so why not?_ ). _Thanks for not being an ass for two seconds!_ You crack a smile as your inner dialogue chastises the rude deer, but you're sure the thoughtful dog is happy to have an audience, even if only half appreciates his art.

 

* * *

 

This dog popped out of a snowpoff. It's so much bigger that the little white one. You could even reason that is the greater of the two dogs, with his giant armor and spear with a face. It just can't be helped, though. Every one of these dogs needs teh pats. You beckon them over. It bounds toward you, flecking slobber in your face. “Gross!” You giggle and wipe it away.

It looks like it wants affection. Of course it does! You give them teh petses. The Greater Dog curls up in your lap as it is pet by you. It gets so comfortable, it falls asleep…

Zzzzz…

…

Then it wakes up! It's so excited! It pats the ground with its front paws. You make a snowball and throw it for the dog to fetch.

It splats on the ground.

It picks up all the snow in the area and brings it to you. There's now a mountain of snow in front of you. At least it isn't blocking the ways in or out. The dog is now very tired. It rests is head on you. You pet them more, and as you do, it sinks is entire weight into you. Your movements slow, but you still haven't pet enough!

Pet capacity is 40-percent!

You pet decisively.

Pet capacity reaches 100 percent!

The dog flips over with its legs hanging in the air. The dog is contented, and hops out of their armor, giving you a huge, slobbery lick on the face. They returns to it, upside down with their tail hanging out where their head should be. Somehow they’re still able to walk away. You no longer question these things. They are a natural part of life here.

 

* * *

 

A bridge stands just ahead. The brothers should be nearby. You get about half way across when Papyrus shouts out to you. “HUMAN! THIS IS YOUR FINAL AND MOST DANGEROUS CHALLENGE!”

You silently pray that it is as “dangerous” as everything else had been thus far.

“BEHOLD! THE GAUNTLET OF DEADLY TERROR!”

_Fuck._

Maces, spears, fire, canons, and… a puppy…? Um, That one doesn't scare you so much as make you feel bad for the dog, but the rest is as the name describes, deadly and terrifying!

“WHEN I SAY THE WORD, IT WILL FULLY ACTIVATE!!! CANONS WILL FIRE! SPIKES WILL SWING! BLADES WILL SLICE! EACH PART WILL SWING VIOLENTLY UP AND DOWN! ONLY THE TINIEST CHANCE OF VICTORY WILL REMAIN!!! ARE YOU READY!?

_Okay, when he gives the word,_

“BECAUSE!”

_I'll make a break for it._

“I!”

_It'll be too busy for him to see me run away._

“Am!”

 _Even if he does…_  
  
“ABOUT!”

 _He’ll never catch me!_  
  
“TO DO IT!” You take a large step back, foot pointed sideways and ready to turn heel. Papyrus turns his back to you and the puzzle, Sans facing his brother.

Silence…

“well? what's the holdup?” Sans side eyes you, permanent grin looking amused at your obvious readiness to bolt.

“HOLDUP!? WHAT HOLDUP!? I’M…  
ABOUT TO ACTIVATE IT NOW!” He turns back toward you, along with Sans. You try to make your escape stance a bit less obvious.

More silence…

“that, uh, doesn't look very activated.”

“WELL!!! THIS CHALLENGE!!! IT SEEMS…  
MAYBE…  
TOO EASY TO DEFEAT THE HUMAN WITH. YEAH! WE CAN’T USE THIS ONE!!! I AM A SKELETON WITH STANDARDS!!! MY PUZZLES ARE VERY FAIR! AND MY TRAPS ARE EXPERTLY COOKED! BUT THIS METHOD IS TOO DIRECT! NO CLASS AT ALL! AWAY IT GOES!”

Both Papyrus and yourself sigh in relief simultaneously. You look at him thankfully, standing straight.

He glares back at you. “WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT!? THIS WAS ANOTHER DECISIVE VICTORY FOR PAPYRUS!! NYEH!! HEH!!  
…  
HEH???” He ends up being the one to bolt.

You scale the remainder of the bridge for your post-puzzle meeting with Sans. “i don't know what my brother’s going to do now. If i we're you, i would make sure i understand blue attacks.”

Blue attacks? Oh yeah. Just some blah Sans told you earlier about not moving when an attack is blue. You hadn't really listened to his weird explication of blue stop signs.

“I'm not really worried, to be honest.” You shrug.

“alright then… don't say i didn't warn you. twice.”

“Pffft. Fine, I won't.”

Papyrus couldn't even activate this last puzzle. What trouble could he possibly cause?

 

* * *

 

Welcome to Snowdin

A cute welcome sign hangs, decorated with Christmas lights. You practically sprint into the shop closely following the sign and orgasm with relief as warmth seeps into your tingling skin. Out of the cold at last!

“Hello, traveler. How can I help you?” A calm, gentle, yet raspy voice greets. There is a purple bunny attending the front counter of the quaint shop. Cinnamon wafts through the store. A small twinge of sadness graces your heart as you are reminded of a certain someone's special treat. You won't eat the pie slice right now, though. You’re hoping you can share it with your sister.

“Hello.” You smile and wave awkwardly, still standing at the entrance. At least it's a small enough store that she can hear you.

“Welcome to Snowdin! I can't remember the last time I saw a fresh face around here. Where did you come from? The Capital?” She questions.

You close the gap between you just a couple feet. It's still a little distant for conversation, though. “Oh, no. I'm just visiting the area, really.” You try to be vague, hoping she won't ask too many questions.

“You don't look like a tourist. Are you here by yourself?”

“Uhhh… yeah, well no. I'm just… so what kind of things are there to do around here?” You flail for a distraction.

She purses her lips and scrunches her nose in an attempt to think of a good answer. “Hmm. Grilby’s has food, and the library has information… if you’re tired, you can sleep at the inn. It's right next door – my sister runs it.” You nod. Bed sounds good. Very good. “And if you're bored, you can sit outside and watch those wacky skeletons do their thing.” You're glad you aren't the only one who finds them entertaining. “There's two of ‘em… Brothers, I think. They just showed up one day and… asserted themselves. The town has gotten a lot more interesting since then.”

You laugh. You aren't surprised in the least. “Thanks. I'll keep that in mind.”

You close in on the front counter, there's a glass case containing the source of the cinnamony goodness. You press your hands and face against it longingly.

“Fresh out of the oven.” She gleams. “It's my own recipe. Just 22G.”

You nod into the glass.

She chuckles a bit and grabs a bag and tongs. “How many?”

You hold up three fingers. You hadn’t realized how hungry you were before smelling these. It’s been a long day, despite having slept in at Toriel’s.

You thank her for the buns and drag yourself to the inn. True to form, a tall, willowy bunny-woman is standing at the counter, along with a baby bunny, who can barely see over it.

“Welcome to Snowdin inn! Snowdin’s premier hotel!”

“Hi.” You give her a sleepy smile. “How much for a night?”

“One night is 80G.” She cheerily replies.

It's a little expensive, but at least the dogs gave you plenty. They really like pets.

You hand her the G’s. “Here’s your room key. Make sure you bundle up!” She chirps.

Once in the room, you set your bag on the bed, looking through the contents to check on Snowy. The chicken scratch note is sitting at the top. A nostalgic sensation washes over you as you gaze at it. _This will be nice to show Tully when I get back._ You smile at the thought of her large, bewildered eyes as you tell her that monsters are not only real, but not at all unlike humans, and of your adventures in the underground. _It's just too bad it isn't safe here._

A single tear drips onto the notes surface, blotchy ink spreading across the sheet with it. You've been crying a lot since you got here. It isn't like you. You neatly spread the sheet flat, removing the wrinkles as best you can and fold it into a perfect square, slipping it against the side of the satchel.

You return your attention to the snowman piece. _Still cold and circular._ You nod satisfactorily, adjusting the bandages around him a bit. You set him on the nightstand so he can be more comfortable than he would be in your bag. Your stomach growls angrily at you, provoking you to remove a still warm cinnamon bun from the paper bag it is in. You bring it to your nose and close your eyes, inhaling deeply. “Mmmmmmmmmm.” You take a modest bite. It delicately flakes into your mouth, filing it with buttery, aromatic cinnamon and the prefect balance of sweetness. You eat all three in minutes. It's the second-best thing you've ever eaten.

Full belly and tired eyes, you kick off your shoes and snuggle under the covers, not bothering to remove the rest of your clothes. You drift off to the musical tune of your neighbors rhythmic snoring.

You dream about silly skeletons, and your throat getting slit.

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it! Let me know what you think! I ♡ comments!


	4. I Have A Friend Now. I Hope it Doesn't Complicate Things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi :)

_Wake up wake up wake up wake up wake up!!!_

You slowly open your sleep-crusted eyes. You're covered in clammy sweat, and feel disgusting. You haven't had a shower since you climbed the mountain three days ago.

You groggily lift yourself up, ripping off your covers and rubbing tiredness from your eyes. It's the second time you've awoken in an unfamiliar room.

The memories of your dreams are foggy, but you know they were more than a little uncomfortable for you to have been begging yourself into wakefulness.

A severe need for water is made evident by your tongue sticking to the roof of your mouth. Your throat is dry and sticky, making it difficult to swallow. Your hair and clothes are damp and adhere to your body. You attempt to pull the fabric of your clothes away from yourself, but this only causes different patches to cling. You pray that they have showers here, but you are unsure if monsters even take showers.

You stand and click on the switch for the lamp by the hotel’s bedside table. A flash of yellow disappears from your peripheral vision as the room is illuminated. You’re certain you saw something. You walk up to the long, wooden desk to the right of the room, quickly crouching down to search for whatever was there. “Nothing here…” You mumble, returning your attention to your glaring thirst and need for a shower.

There is no bathroom in this place. You once again have to approach someone in order to figure out how to take care of your basic needs. Sock-clad feet, you walk to the front desk. The cheerful bunny woman turns to you as you meet her field of view, smile on her face. The baby-buns is gone now, probably in bed.

“Up already?” She asks warily, cheerful disposition hesitating. “It's only been a few hours. Were you sleeping alright?”

“I was.” Though your tone is perfectly paced, your pallid complexion and horse vocals assure her that you weren't. “Is there a shower around here anywhere? And… maybe a place to do laundry?”

She smiles gently and dips behind the counter momentarily, returning with a key and basket. “Here's the key to the shower…” She hands you a decently sized key with a large red tag keychain, which the number one is inscribed on. “… and a basket for your laundry.” A small wicker hamper is placed on the counter. “Just set it outside the door. I'll take care of it while you're in the shower.” Her caring impression along with the thought of her doing your laundry brings a light blush to your face.

“Y-you don't have to do that. I can take care of it myself.” You stumble.

“Nonsense dear, it's no trouble at all. I insist! Now just take this…” She hands you the basket, which you hesitantly take. “And the shower room is Upstairs and to your left.” She points. “Enjoy! Take your time!”

She’s so adamant about it you really can't say no. “Okay… I will.”

First order of business, drinking about ten of those little plastic cups worth of water from the sink. You note the lack of toilet, consistent with the few other places you've been inside while underground. You idly note your distinct lack of need for one since you've been here. All of the toiletries which don't actually include a toilet are present. Toothbrush, toothpaste, soaps, floss, comb, all cheap-looking, one use products one would expect of a decent hotel.

The shower is incredible. Hot throughout, perfect pressure, and the room itself is toasty warm. You do indeed take your time, spending over an hour allowing the steaming jettison to flow over your body before you finally manage to pry yourself away.

As you brush your teeth, you can't help but look at yourself in the mirror. You don't often do it, but your reflection is just standing there, staring at you. You spit into the sink and cease your brushing before looking back at yourself.

Your perfect, supple, prepubescent skin quickly bounces back from the cheek-poke you administer. Your short bob hairstyle coupled with this makes you look fairly androgynous, and your warm olive-toned skin would make you easily fit in most places outside of this mountain. You look no older than twelve, if you stretch it.

But you aren't.

And because of this, you are eternally used by others in ways you could never wish on any living creature. Except maybe those who’ve done it to you. _That's why I'm here though. And that's why I have to leave._

You lightly tug on the mirrors surface in hopes that it doubles as a cabinet. Lucky you, it holds cleaning supplies, a much better view than your uncomfortably underdeveloped self.

You finish your grooming, wrapping a large, fluffy towel around yourself, and check for your laundry. It looks done; folded and a note tops it. You pull it into the room with you and read the note:

Hope you enjoyed the shower! I've given you fresh sheets as well. Sweet dreams! ♡

You smile down at the note. You highly appreciate the trouble she went to, despite being uncomfortable accepting help.

You actually bother to undress before going back to sleep. You’re a lot more comfortable this time around.

 

* * *

 

It's light at first, but every step forward adds the fury of a thousand more snowflakes, as if the roof of the cavern is daring you to destroy more of its art. In turn, another layer of billowing snow is stacked upon the last, until you are blinded by its strength.

But what's this? A dark patch, soon an outline shown through wasteland of white. You pause your footing.

“HUMAN.” The voice is mighty and brave, breaking through the storm with the force of a million vocal chords. “ALLOW ME TO TELL YOU ABOUT SOME COMPLEX FEELINGS.”

Your ears are powerless to his demands.

“FEELINGS LIKE… THE JOY OF FINDING ANOTHER PASTA LOVER. THE ADMIRATION FOR ANOTHER'S PUZZLE- SOLVING SKILLS. THE DESIRE TO HAVE A COOL, SMART PERSON THINK YOU ARE COOL.”

Your heart skips at the vigor of such kind words echoing through such destruction.

“THESE FEELINGS… THEY MUST BE WHAT YOU ARE FEELING RIGHT NOW!!!”

 _My darling Papyrus, you are correct! My admiration for you knows no bounds!_ And yet, you are stunned into silence by such dominance! You feign a swooning motion.

“I CAN HARDLY IMAGINE WHAT IT MUST BE LIKE TO FEEL THAT WAY. AFTER ALL, I AM VERY GREAT. I DON'T EVER WONDER WHAT HAVING LOTS OF FRIENDS IS LIKE. I PITY YOU… LONELY HUMAN…”

Your heart flutters at the magnificence of such a gift as The Great Papyrus’ pity.

“WORRY NOT!!! YOU SHALL BE LONELY NO LONGER!”

Your snow- dusted eyelashes flutter in anticipation.

“I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL BE YOUR…  
…  
NO…”

You bring the back of your wrist to your head, dramatically throwing it back in distress.

“NO, THIS IS ALL WRONG! I CAN'T BE YOUR FRIEND!!! YOU ARE A HUMAN! I MUST CAPTURE YOU!!! THEN, I CAN FULFILL MY LIFELONG DREAM!!!”  
“POWERFUL!  
POPULAR!  
PRESTIGIOUS!!!  
THAT'S PAPYRUS!!! THE NEWEST MEMBER…  
OF THE ROYAL GUARD!”

Alas, for his dream, it is meant to be. Your death will be a proud one!

Your soul escapes you. Your love is undeniable! “Papyrus! I can hide it no longer! Your greatness has consumed my being! My soul shines for you!” You throw your arms toward him in a striking display.

“WHAT!? FL-FLIRTING!? SO YOU FINALLY REVEAL YOUR ULTIMATE FEELINGS!”

You nod, making every attempt at your most serous expression.

“W-WELL! I'M A SKELETON WITH VERY HIGH STANDARDS!!!” He stutters.

“Um… I can make spaghetti?” You suggest.

He brings his hands to his cheek bones. “OH NO!! YOU’RE MEETING ALL MY STANDARDS!!! I GUESS THIS MEANS I HAVE TO GO ON A DATE WITH YOU…?” Hook, line, sinker!

A fit of giggles overtakes you. _Maybe I went a bit overboard with the role playing._  
  
“L-LET'S DATE LATER!! AFTER I CAPTURE YOU!”

Oh well, you’ve earned this date, and you'll fight for it!... by not fighting. Maybe just some dodging.

At least the snow is settling down.

You take a small step backwards and let Papyrus’ bones pass in front of you. You then cross your arms and look expectantly at him.

“SO YOU WON'T FIGHT… THEN LET'S SEE HOW YOU HANDLE MY FABLED…  
BLUE ATTACK!!!” Several blue bones fly toward you.

They look like they would be difficult to dodge, but _blue stop signs! Crap. Why do I remember that?_ You stand perfectly still, and are unharmed. Maybe it's a good thing you listened. If the rest of the fight is that easy, you're in for a smooth ride.

A weight instantly overtakes your body as your soul drops to the ground with a thud. You look down as a small bone unexpectedly slams into it. “Oooowwwwwww!” You whine.

“YOU’RE BLUE NOW. THAT'S MY ATTACK! NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!!!”

 _Damn you Sans!_ Jerk probably tricked you so his brother could turn you blue. This might complicate things. You look back to Papyrus. He seems to be preoccupied with the date.

“HMM… I WONDER WHAT I SHOULD WEAR…”

Short bones mosey over to you. You have ample time to hop over them. Luckily you seem to spend a bit longer in the air than you normally would while jumping. The feeling of floating is somewhat exhilarating.

You watch as Papyrus dabs some bone cologne behind the place his ears would be, had he had them. A small snicker escapes you as you arch your brow at him.

“WHAT!? I'M NOT THINKING ABOUT THAT DATE THING!!” He flings another attack at you.

The bones are taller this time. You leap over each of them, freezing at your landing for a final blue bone, before being side swiped by another white one while distracted. You land with a heavy thud. _Dammit! I need to pay attention!_ The previous ease seems to have made you underestimate his ability.

“YEAH! DON'T MAKE ME USE MY SPECIAL ATTACK!!!” He demands. “I CAN ALMOST TASTE MY FUTURE POPULARITY!!!”

You're focused now. You won't make the same mistake a third time. This just became personal. You _will_ have that date. You lift your heavy body from the ground and sturdy your stance.

“PAPYRUS: HEAD OF THE ROYAL GUARD! PAPYRUS: UNPARALLELED SPAGHETTOR!”

You charge the next set of bones, swiftly leaping over them and pushing Papyrus’ paying field back. This seems to catch him off guard, making him back away. No cheap shots are taken this time. You smile to yourself. Maybe your parents have done something good for you after all.

“UNDYNE WILL BE REALLY PROUD OF ME!! THE KING WILL TRIM A HEDGE IN THE SHAPE OF MY SMILE!!!” He seems to gain confidence with his words.

 _There he is._ His attacks finally gain momentum. Jump, jump, duck. Simple enough. You full on sprint to the next set, a long, arching row jutting from the ground, and thrust yourself through the air with a backflip, landing gracefully on the other side, chest high and arms perched in the air, just like you've been taught. _Two feet, no bounce back. I've got this!_ You backtrack to give yourself more space.

“MY BROTHER WILL… WELL, HE WON'T CHANGE VERY MUCH.”

You effectively leap through narrow openings, land with prefect accuracy to evade blue attacks, and make quick footwork of weaponry coming from both sides.

“I'LL HAVE LOTS OF ADMIRERS!! BUT… WILL ANYONE LIKE ME AS SINCERELY AS YOU?”

Things become a little harder to dodge as the bones begin to rise and lower while moving toward you, in addition to coming in from multiple angles. You’re too honed in to feel bad for your fake flirting.

“SOMEONE LIKE YOU IS REALLY RARE… AND DATING MIGHT BE KIND OF HARD AFTER YOU’RE CAPTURED AND SENT AWAY.” Papyrus seems to be contemplating his options.

 _Stupid cheap shots!_ You've almost been side swiped by an entire arch of bones. That would have hurt a lot.

“UGH… WHO CARES! GIVE UP OR FACE MY… SPECIAL ATTACK!!!”

But you don't know how to give up.

He continually stalls for time against his special attack by constantly threatening to use it until finally, the announcement comes.

“BEHOLD…! MY SPECIAL ATTACK!”

He hurls out a… a puppy chewing a bone.

“Is that the same puppy from yesterday?” You ponder aloud.

“WHAT THE HECK! THAT'S MY SPECIAL ATTACK! HEY! YOU STUPID DOG! DO YOU HEAR ME!?” He threatens.

You doubt the dog can hear him over your laughter. You've achieved the impossible and, at this moment, are louder than Papyrus.

“STOP MUNCHING ON THAT BONE!!!” The dog begins to drag the bone away. “HEY!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!! COME BACK HERE WITH MY SPECIAL ATTACK!!!” But it's already gone.  
“…  
OH WELL. I'LL JUST USE A REALLY COOL REGULAR ATTACK.”

A small hiccup of laughter escapes you as you wipe tears from your eyes and prepare yourself for what is possibly a bunch of really cheap shots.

He lets out a heavy sigh “HERE'S AN ABSOLUTELY NORMAL ATTACK.”

It does start out normal, if not a bit difficult, but soon your leaping through a series of bones that spell out “cool dude”, and a bone with sunglasses riding a skateboard. The puppy comes by, eating another attack, and you reflexively dodge it.

This is the coup de grace. You can't see past the ocean of bones before you. _There's too many. I'll never make it over! Leap of faith!_

You hurl yourself up and continue to rise to the point that you instinctively begin to flail your arms and legs, screaming. You hardly make it over a massive bone at the end of the sea before quickly falling back to the ground. Your scream increases in pitch before you land on your hands and knees.

You slowly move your gaze toward Papyrus in a slight daze. “WELL…! ‘HUFF’ IT’S CLEAR YOU CAN’T! ‘HUFF’ DEFEAT ME!!!” He’s dripping with sweat and is obviously getting tired.

You wobble a bit when you stand.

“YEAH!!! I CAN SEE YOU SHAKING IN YOUR BOOTS!!! THEREFORE I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, ELECT TO GRANT YOU PITY!!! I WILL SPARE YOU, HUMAN!!! NOW’S YOUR CHANCE TO ACCEPT MY MERCY.”

“I think we're good.” You squeak as your soul is sucked into your body.

He turns away, nearly in tears. “NYOO HOO HOO… I CAN'T EVEN STOP SOMEONE AS WEAK AS YOU…”

“Hey!” You huff, putting your hands to your hips. “I did all that with a bag on and I didn't drop a thing!” Granted, you had tied a knot at the base of the handles that morning to secure the contents, but Papyrus ignores you and continues to wallow.

“UNDYNE’S GOING TO BE DISAPPOINTED IN ME. I'LL NEVER JOIN THE ROYAL GUARD…  
AND….  
MY FRIEND QUANTITY WILL REMAIN STAGNANT!”

You let out a long sigh shaking your head at the skeleton. “I could… we can be friends.” You’re supposed to “date,” after all, right?

“REALLY!? YOU WANT TO BE FRIENDS, WITH ME???”

_Why does he seem so surprised?_

“Definitely!” You nod boldly.

“WELL THEN… I GUESS… I GUESS I CAN MAKE AN ALLOWANCE FOR YOU!”

You roll your eyes. “Wow. Thanks so much, The Great Papyrus!”

“WOWIE!! WE HAVEN'T EVEN HAD OUR FIRST DATE… AND I'VE ALREADY MANAGED TO HIT THE FRIEND ZONE!!!”

_Buddy, you have **no** idea!_

“WHO KNEW THAT ALL I NEEDED TO MAKE PALS.. WAS TO GIVE PEOPLE AWFUL PUZZLES AND THEN FIGHT THEM???”

 _When he puts it that way…_  
But you’re pulled from the thought before it can fully form.

“YOU TAUGHT ME A LOT, HUMAN. I HEREBY GRANT YOU PERMISSION TO PASS THROUGH! AND I'LL GIVE YOU DIRECTIONS TO THE SURFACE.”

You immediately perk up at the mention of the surface.

“CONTINUE FORWARD UNTIL YOU REACH THE END OF THE CAVERN. THEN… WHEN YOU REACH THE CAPITAL, CROSS THE BARRIER. THAT'S THE MAGICAL SEAL TRAPPING US ALL UNDERGROUND.”

Your arms slowly lower down your sides. _Um… that doesn't sound good._

“ANYTHING CAN ENTER THROUGH IT, BUT NOTHING CAN EXIT… EXCEPT SOMEONE WITH A POWERFUL SOUL… LIKE YOU!!!”

_Ah, well that's okay, then. I wonder what's so powerful about my soul._

“THAT'S WHY THE KING WANTS TO AQUIRE A HUMAN. HE WANTS TO OPEN THE BARRIER WITH SOUL POWER. THEN MONSTERS CAN RETURN TO THE SURFACE!”

_But if I leave then-_

“OH, I ALMOST FORGOT TO TELL YOU…  
TO REACH THE EXIT, YOU WILL HAVE TO PASS…  
THROUGH THE KING’S CASTLE. THE KING OF ALL MONSTERS…  
HE IS…  
WELL…  
HE'S A BIG FUZZY PUSHOVER!!! EVERYBODY LOVES THE GUY. I AM CERTAIN IF YOU JUST SAY…  
‘EXCUSE ME, MR. DREEMURR… CAN I PLEASE GO HOME?’  
HE’LL GUIDE YOU RIGHT TO THE BARRIER HIMSELF!”

_Oh God. Why does this have ironic foreshadowing written all over it?_

“ANYWAY!!! THAT'S ENOUGH TALKING!!! I'LL BE AT HOME BEING A COOL FRIEND!!! FEEL FREE TO COME BY AND HAVE THAT DATE! NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!!!” He walks in random squiggles, somehow ending up on top of water and sideways on trees as he leaves.

“Um…” Say what you will about this guy, he sure can make an exit.

You traipse into Waterfall, partly out of curiosity, partly to give Papyrus time to ready himself for your “date”.

Giant chunks of ice float down the river next to your path. You wonder where they came from, and where they're going, when Sans enters your vision. He's sitting in a booth, watching you approach. You give him a curious look.

“what? haven’t you seen a guy with two jobs before?” He seems to be joking with you, but you don't understand what the joke is.

“No.” You state flatly, a slight curious gaze on your features.

“seriously?” His eyelights examine you with equal curiosity.

“I… don't get out much.” You meekly offer. The complete irony of your statement may be lost on you, but Sans’ disbelief is obvious.

He shakes his skull and continues his charade. “fortunately, two jobs means twice as many legally-required breaks. i’m going to grillby’s. wanna come?”

Your stomach grumbles in response to his offer. “well, if you insist... i’ll pry myself away from my work...” He hops out from behind his work station and walks deeper into Waterfall. “over here. i know a shortcut.”

You shrug and follow. Maybe you'll get to see how he always ends up in front of you. After a few feet, you are suddenly inside of Grilby’s. The smell of smoke and grilled burgers assaults your stomach lining as it begs for the food to be inside of it.

“fast shortcut, huh?” You nod in disbelief at the fact that you still have no clue how you got here. “hey, everyone.” Sans greets the others in the bar as he walks past. The cloaked dogs are there, and Sans greets them by name: Dogamy and Dogaressa. Being around them makes you uncomfortable, but somehow Sans’ presence calms you a bit. You look at the ground as everyone says their hellos, a very drunk bunny girl letting out a particularly friendly one.

Before the two of you can sit, an odd looking fish woman interrupts. “Hey Sans, weren't you just here for breakfast a few minutes ago?”

“nah, i haven’t had breakfast in at least half an hour. you must be thinking of brunch.” _Wink._ The distant ghost of a drum kick enters the back of your mind as the bar echoes with the laughter of its guests. “here, get comfy.” He pats the seat he intends you to sit at.

The familiar sound of an overzealous fart rings through the bar. No one is phased. They must have heard this one before. You continue to stare forward as if nothing happened while he speaks. “whoops, watch where you sit down. sometimes weirdos put whoopee cushions on the seats.” He has a slightly giddy look on his face while he says it.

You slowly, deliberately turn your head to face him, the most deadpan expression you can give exuding from every pore on your body. “What whoopee cushion?”

He blinks at you in surprise before letting out a few sharp laughs. “that's, uh… real immature.” His smile is a little wider than usual.

You roll your eyes and snicker a bit. He gives another snort before speaking again. “anyway, let’s order. whaddya want...?”  
  
“Friiieess.” You let out in a sing-song tone. You stiffen just a bit, not enough to be noticeable, but this skeleton misses nothing.

_Maybe I’m getting a little too comfortable here._

He eyes you a bit, but ultimately decides to ignore the falter in your hospitality. You really are a weird person. “hey, that sounds pretty good.” He turns to the bartender, a red flame in the vague shape of a human wearing a spiffy button-up shirt, a vest, and glasses. “grillby, we’ll have a double order of fries.” The bar owner walks off to obtain the food while Sans combs his skull, earning another odd look from you. He slips the comb into his pocket. “so, what do you think... of my brother?”

“I already told you I think he's cool. Why?”

“of course he’s cool. You’d be cool too if you wore that outfit every day. he’d only take that thing off if he absolutely had to.”

You shudder a bit.

“oh well. at least he washes it. and by that I mean he wears it in the shower.”

A small, tight frown graces your lips. You don't bother looking at Sans as he gauges your reaction.

 _Saved by the fries!_ Grillby sets your food before you, a glorious display of perfectly fried, golden, and steaming potato sticks. You begin to reach for them when Sans offers you ketchup. You oblige.

“bone appetit.” _Wink._

You eye him suspiciously, not watching the bottle as its entire contents dump onto your food. You look disappointedly at the carnage of Sans’ latest prank.

“whoops. eh, forgeddaboudit. you can have mine. i’m not hungry anyway.” He slides his basket over to you, provoking you to dip his naked fries into your ketchup sodden ones. You only half listened to Sans’ story about Papyrus begging to be in the royal guard while you eat yet another forbidden food. At your house you’ve always been on a strict diet. It wasn't bad, per say, but you've always wondered what these foods you cooked for your parents were like. The oily, sugary, fatty excess is exhilarating to your taste buds. It's almost too much, but in such a wonderful way.

Sans’ voice slowly comes back into focus as you shove another fry into your already stuffed mouth. “she decided to give him warrior training. it’s, uh, still a work in progress. oh yeah, I wanted to ask you something.”

This catches your attention. You turn your bulging cheek, ketchup smeared face to him as everything stills. You swiftly glance at the frozen patrons. Even Grillby's flames are frozen. You look back to Sans. Mouth still full, your chewing halts.

“have you ever heard of a talking flower?” A certain someone enters your mind. You nod vigorously. “so you know all about it.  
the echo flower.”

 _Oh…_ It's a good thing your mouth is full or you would probably look a little too upset at the misunderstanding.

“they’re all over the marsh. say something to them, and they’ll repeat it over and over...”

You raise your brow at him.

“what about it? well, papyrus told me something interesting the other day. sometimes, when no one else is around... a flower appears and whispers things to him.  
flattery...  
advice...  
encouragement...  
...predictions. weird, huh? someone must be using an echo flower to play a trick on him. keep an eye out, ok?”

You nod slowly and once again begin to break down your food.

“thanks.” He gives a short nod in your direction.

People begin moving again when Sans slides from his seat and cuts back in. “welp, that was a long break.  
i can’t believe i let ya pull me away from work for that long.” He turns to face you, that mischievous look in his eye. “oh, by the way... i’m flat broke. can you foot the bill? it’s just 10000G.”

Your nostrils flair and you frantically attempt to swallow your food so you can yell at him while shaking your head in a distinctly “no” fashion.

“just kidding. grillby, put it on my tab.”

You relax a bit at the prospect of not having to stick around and work to pay off the bill.

He walks nearly completely from the store before looking to you again. “by the way... i was going to say something, but i forgot.” He bolts out the door before you can even attempt to go after him.

You finally swallow your food and jump off your chair, leaving behind the half-eaten, and ketchup drenched containers of fries.

You are suddenly very aware that, in order to leave, you have to walk past Dogamy and Dogaressa _alone._ Not only that, but whichever way you choose to leave, one of them will have an axe pointed right at you.

You take a deep breath and jet past them, opting for the shortest path. Sweet, chilled air fills your lungs as you exit. _For the love of all the gods, please don't take me to Grillby’s, Papyrus._

You are a little surprised to find Papyrus standing outside the door to his house waiting for you.

“SO YOU CAME BACK TO HAVE A DATE WITH ME! YOU MUST BE REALLY SERIOUS ABOUT THIS… I'LL HAVE TO TAKE YOU SOMEPLACE REALLY SPECIAL… A PLACE I LIKE TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME!!!”

The two of you walk toward Grillby's. _Not Grillby's. Not Grillby’s. Please not Grillby's._ He turns around and guides you back to his front door.

“MY HOUSE!!!” He jets inside in under two seconds.

When you've finished laughing, you crack the door opened and peak your head inside. “Papyrus?” You project through the entryway hall.

“COME IN, HUMAN!” He shouts back to you.

You warily enter, shutting the door behind you and unzipping your sweater. Papyrus is on your left when you enter the room. You walk up to greet him.

“WELCOME TO SCENIC MY HOUSE! ENJOY AND TAKE YOUR TIME!!!” He’s a little overly excited for a simple play date.

 _He can't possibly think this is real, right?_ You shift nervously. “I suppose I'm supposed to look around?” He looks at you eagerly.

You inspect a book which sits on a small, round, side table next to Papyrus. It's a joke book. Inside the joke book is a quantum physics book. You open the physics book to find another joke book. You open the second joke book to find a quantum physics book. You decide to stop while you're ahead. A small piece of you wonders how many times you could potentially open it.

You walk into the kitchen to find the sink’s base is so tall that the sink touches the ceiling. “IMPRESSED? I INCREASED THE HEIGHT OF MY SINK. NOW I CAN FIT MORE BONES UNDER IT! TAKE A LOOKSY!”

You open the cupboard to find the ever appearing white puppy chewing on a large bone beneath.

“WHAT!?!?” The puppy surges toward Papyrus. “CATCH THAT MEDDLING CANINE!”

You run after it, to no avail. It's a fast little bugger.

“CURSES!!!” Sans pops out of the rightmost room upstairs (which you assume is his bedroom), and plays the sad trombone song. “SANS! STOP PLAGUING MY LIFE WITH INCIDENTAL MUSIC!!!” Papyrus stomps back to his place beside the steps.

You move up the stairs to a room covered in various “keep out” paraphernalia.

“THAT'S MY ROOM! IF YOU'VE FINISHED LOOKING AROUND… WE COULD GO AND… DO WHATEVER PEOPLE DO WHEN THEY DATE???”

Your stomach lurches. _He wants the date… in his room? No, he just doesn't know what a date is._ You reason. _There's no way he knows what he's insinuating._ You do your best to suppress your fear and give him the biggest smile and nod you can muster.

He walks up the stairs and opens the door, leading you in. You look at a box of bones on your right. “HEY, THOSE ARE ALL THE ATTACKS I USED ON YOU. GREAT MEMORIES, HUH?”

You giggle in response.

“SEEMS LIKE IT WAS ONLY YESTERDAY… EVEN THOUGH IT BASICALLY JUST HAPPENED.”

Your giggle becomes deeper, more genuine laughter.

You walk up to the loud, red, racecar bed. You’re interested in his reasoning behind having such a childish bed, or rather, room. He also has several action figures on his bedside desk.

“THAT'S MY BED! IF I EVER GET TO THE SURFACE… I'D LIKE TO DRIVE DOWN A LONG HIGHWAY. WIND IN MY HAIR… SUN ON MY SKIN… OF COURSE, THAT'S JUST A DREAM. SO INSTEAD I CRUISE WHILE I SNOOZE.”

You stare at it, relieved. Perhaps you spent a bit too long lingering.

He jerks you from your trance with his eccentric vocals. “WHY ARE YOU SO INTERESTED IN MY BED? ARE YOU TIRED?”

“Oh, no. Sorry Papyrus, I was just… admiring the paint job!” You smile at him.

“SO, UM… IF YOU'VE SEEN EVERYTHING… DO YOU WANT TO START THE DATE?” He looks a little desperate. You suppose you have spent awhile moseying around.

“Yeah.” You speak, rather than nodding in an attempt to become a bit more sociable.

“OKAY!!! DATING START!!!”

Nothing happens. An awkward silence ensues.

“HERE WE ARE!! ON OUR DATE!! I'VE ACTUALLY NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE.” He sinks his head into his “battle body”.

“It's okay, neither have I! I'm not sure how a real date works actually...” You try to be encouraging, but you honestly don't know what to do.

“DON'T WORRY!!! YOU CAN'T SPELL ‘PREPARED’ WITHOUT SEVERAL LETTERS FROM MY NAME!!! I SNAGGED AN OFFICIAL DATING RULEBOOK FROM THE LIBRARY!”

“Very professional.” You nod.

“WE'RE READY TO HAVE A GREAT TIME! LET'S SEE…” He shoves his face into the book.  
“STEP ONE...  
PRESS THE [C] KEY ON YOUR KEYBOARD FOR ‘DATING HUD.’”

“That's a little strange.” You shrug and walk up to Papyrus’ computer in the upper right corner of the room, pressing the [C] key. The screen actually turns on, reveling several radars that have nothing to do with dating, such as the crime rate, population, the day of the week, and an egg. “Wow. How did that work?”

“WOWIE!!! I FEEL SO INFORMED!!! I THINK WE'RE READY FOR STEP TWO!!!”

“Indeed.” You agree.

“STEP TWO…  
ASK THEM ON A DATE.  
AHEM! HUMAN! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS… WILL GO ON A DATE WITH YOU!!!”

 _That wasn't so much asking but._ “…okay.”

Somehow his cheek bones rosy and his eyes shine with delight. “R- REALLY??? WOWIE!!! I GUESS THAT MEANS IT’S TIME FOR PART THREE!!!  
STEP THREE…  
PUT ON NICE CLOTHES TO SHOW YOU CARE!  
…  
WAIT A SECOND.” He lowers the book. “’WEAR CLOTHING…’ THAT RIBBON ON YOUR NECK… YOU’RE WEARING CLOTHING RIGHT NOW!!! NOT ONLY THAT… EARLIER TODAY, YOU WERE ALSO WEARING CLOTHING!”

You're entirely unsure where this is going.

“NO… COULD IT BE??? YOU’VE WANTED TO DATE ME FROM THE VERY BEGINNING!??”

“Well, no. I just always wear clothes. Because I'm not a skeleton.” You explain, gesturing toward him.

His eyes bulge from his skull in a shocked display. You aren't sure why this is surprising. He wears clothes, Sans wears clothes, you were wearing clothes yesterday.

“DESPITE THAT, YOU CHOSE TO WEAR CLOTHING TODAY, OF ALL DAYS…?”

“Um… I guess?” You shrug.

“WAS YOUR INTEREST IN ME… PREDESTINED!?!?” His blush returns, excitement evident.

Your eye twitches a bit at the huge twist of logic that had to occur to arrive at that point.

“N- NOOOO!!! YOUR **DATING POWER**...!!!” A small sound from the computer prompts you to look at it. A blue bar arises, filing roughly a quarter of the way. “NYEH! NYEH HEH HEH!!!” A tension meter slides into the screen, covering some of the other meters. “DON'T THINK YOU'VE BESTED ME YET!”

You look back at Papyrus, completely bewildered by how the computer could come up with these statistics. Papyrus seems unfazed.

“I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS… HAVE NEVER BEEN BEATEN AT DATING, AND I NEVER WILL!”

“But you've never-”

“I CAN EASILY KEEP UP WITH YOU!!! YOU SEE, I, TOO, CAN WEAR CLOTHING!!! IN FACT… I ALWAYS WEAR MY ‘SPECIAL’ CLOTHES UNDERNEATH MY REGULAR CLOTHES!! JUST IN CASE SOMEBODY HAPPENS TO ASK ME ON A DATE!!!”

_Ohmygodwhy!?_

“BEHOLD!!!” He quickly slips into the closet and back out in moments. “NYEH! WHAT DO YOU THINK OF MY SECRET STYLE!?!” He has on a basketball jersey with ‘cool dude’ written on the front, basketball shaped sleeves, jersey shorts, a backwards hat, and sneakers.

“I love it. The sleeves are great!” You give him two big thumbs up.

“NO!!! A GENUINE COMPLIMENT…!!!” Your “ **DATE POWER** ” bar is now two thirds full. You’re strangely excited about it.

“HOWEVER… YOU DON'T TRULY UNDERSTAND THE HIDDEN POWER OF THIS OUTFIT!!! THEREFORE… WHAT YOU JUST SAID IS INVALID!!!”

Your cheesy anime voice activates. “Oh no! My **DATING POWER** is almost down to half!”

“THIS DATE WON'T ESCALATE ANY FURTHER!!!  
…UNLESS YOU FIND MY SECRET!! BUT THAT WON'T HAPPEN!!”

You point at his shoes.

“HUMAN SOULS ARE STRONGER THAN MONSTER SOULS… BUT THE SOLES OF OUR SHOES ON THE OTHER HAND…!  
…ARE ABOUT THE SAME.” He shrugs.

You ponder his outfit, looking it over while rubbing your chin. His hat is slightly elevated from his head. You wonder when that happened and why you didn't notice. “What about the hat?” You question.

“MY HAT…?  
MY HAT.  
MY HAT!  
NYEH HEH HEH! W- WELL THEN… YOU FOUND MY SECRET! I SUPPOSE I HAVE NO CHOICE! IT'S A PRESENT… A PRESENT J- JUST FOR YOU!!!” He hands you the gift.

You carefully open one side of the wrapping paper, sliding the present out of the opened end. It is a wooden box containing spaghetti.

“DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS IS?”

“Of course! It's spaghetti. How thoughtful!” You grin, remembering his promise to make you more after the last batch froze to the table.

“RIGHT! BUT OH- SO WRONG! THIS AIN'T ANY PLAIN OL’ PASTA! THIS IS AN ARTISAN’S WORK! SILKEN SPAGHETTI FINLEY AGED IN AN OAKEN CASK… THEN COOKED BY ME, MASTER CHEF PAPYRUS! HUMAN!!! IT'S TIME TO END THIS!! THERE'S NO WAY THIS CAN GO ANY FURTHER!”

You take a small bite, your face reflexively scrunching up. The taste is indescribable. You swallow anyway, ending with a sickly smile. Attempting a genuine one while trying not to throw up is more difficult than you thought it would be.

“WHAT A PASSIONATE EXPRESSION!!! YOU MUST REALLY LOVE MY COOKING!” He blushes, grin widening. “AND BY EXTENSION, ME!!! MAYBE EVEN MORE THAN I DO!!!” The **DATE POWER** bar fills wildly, extending past its border and completely off the screen. It looks like the computer has crashed, screen whiting out completely.

“HUMAN. IT'S CLEAR NOW. YOU'RE MADLY IN LOVE WITH ME. EVERYTHING YOU DO. EVERYTHING YOU SAY. IT'S ALL BEEN FOR MY SAKE.”

 _How does he come up with this stuff?_ You sigh in slight exasperation, but let him continue.

“HUMAN. I WANT YOU TO BE HAPPY, TOO. IT'S TIME FOR ME TO EXPRESS MY FEELINGS. IT'S TIME THAT I TOLD YOU. I, PAPYRUS…  
I…  
UM…  
BOY, IS IT HOT IN HERE, OR IS IT JUST ME??  
…  
OH SHOOT. HUMAN, I…  
I'M SORRY.  
I DON'T LIKE YOU THE WAY YOU LIKE ME. ROMANTICALLY, I MEAN.” He gets that googly look on his face.

You exhale again, this time in relief.

“I MEAN, I TRIED VERY HARD TO! I THOUGHT THAT BECAUSE YOU FLIRTED WITH ME… THAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO GO ON A DATE WITH YOU. THEN, ON THE DATE, FEELINGS WOULD BLOSSOM FORTH!!!” He blushes. “I WOULD BE ABLE TO MATCH YOUR PASSION FOR ME! BUT ALAS…  
I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS…  
HAVE FAILED. I FEEL JUST THE SAME AS BEFORE. AND INSTEAD, BY DATING YOU…  
I HAVE ONLY DRAWN YOU DEEPER…  
INTO YOUR INTENSE LOVE FOR ME! A DARK PRISON OF PASSION, WITH NO ESCAPE.” He looks overly sorrowful. “HOW COULD I HAVE DONE THIS TO MY DEAR FRIEND…?  
…”

You both take a moment of silence. “Love lost, before it hath begun.” You bow your head, forgetting that you’re still holding the spaghetti. Your stomach turns a bit at the smell.

“NO! WAIT! THAT'S WRONG!” You look back up at him. “I CAN'T FAIL AT ANYTHING! HUMAN!!! I'LL HELP YOU THROUGH THESE TRYING TIMES!!! I'LL KEEP BEING YOUR COOL FRIEND…  
AND ACT LIKE THIS ALL NEVER HAPPENED. AFTER ALL, YOU ARE VERY GREAT.”

“Awe! You think I'm great Papyrus?” You hold a hand to your heart, eyes shining with gratitude.

“IT WOULD BE TRAGIC TO LOSE YOUR FRIENDSHIP. SO PLEASE… DON'T CRY BECAUSE I WON'T KISS YOU. BECAUSE, I DON'T EVEN HAVE LIPS.”

You snort at that. He isn't wrong. It would probably be really strange to kiss a skeleton, not that you were planning on it.

“AND HEY, SOMEDAY, YOU'LL FIND SOMEONE AS GREAT AS ME. WELL, NO. THAT'S NOT TRUE. BUT I'LL HELP YOU SETTLE FOR SECOND BEST!!! NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!!!” He begins to run away, but slips back into the room.  
“OH, AND IF YOU EVER NEED TO REACH ME… HERE’S MY PHONE NUMBER. YOU CAN CALL ME ANY TIME! PLATONICLY.”

You nod, snickering.

“WELL, GOTTA GO! NYEH HEH HEH!

You stand at the door to Papyrus’ room, contemplating whether or not to call him as a joke. When you open your contacts, Toriel comes up first. You stare at her name for several minutes. A salty droplet threatens to streak down your face.

You dial, but nobody picks up.

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ♡ hearing from you!!! Let me know what you think (;*.*)°~`


	5. no no No NO NO!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Graphic depictions of violence marked by ~********~ at beginning and end. Details in notes at the bottom of the chapter.

Your hand stifles your breath as you lie in wait, strands of grass twice your height covering you completely. You don't dare move or breathe for fear of being heard.

This is the moment you realize that Toriel was right. You are being hunted by much scarier things than Sans and Papyrus.

You can't help but wonder how many times you're going to die. How many times you can _handle_ dying. _As many times as it takes._ Your attempt to strengthen your resolve only ends up solidifying your fears as you ponder all of the grotesque possibilities. Monsters have some unique abilities that would make your end seem almost silly if it weren't for the results.

Your only saving grace is that Papyrus is speaking so loudly, you can clearly hear him from your position hidden in the brush, and he just so happens to be repeating his interlocutors every word.

“...W- WHAT? YOU’RE GOING TO TAKE THE HUMAN’S SOUL YOURSELF...” Papyrus closes the gap between himself and his conversation partner. “BUT UNDYNE, YOU DON’T H- HAVE TO DESTROY THEM! YOU SEE...  
YOU SEE...” Silence overtakes the normally vociferous skeleton. He moves back to his previous position, further from Undyne.  
“...  
...I UNDERSTAND. I’LL HELP YOU IN ANY WAY I CAN.” Papyrus leaves. The captain of the royal guard, donning a metallic suit of armor, stays.

You continue to muffle your breathing for several minutes. You can't help but feel betrayed despite Papyrus’ infamous way of twisting things. You want to trust him, as he is the first and only friend you've ever had, but how can you when he plans to help someone so intent on brining you to your demise and stealing your soul?

Undyne remains unmoving, and it steadily becomes clear that she isn't going to leave any time soon. _Doesn't she have better things to do than stand here?_ You mentally huff at her unwavering resolve.

You decide to risk movement, slowly reaching forward to push aside some of the thistling plants, but the second you do, she is alerted to your presence.

Undyne tromps her heavy armor, turning to face the grassy patch that contains you. You freeze again, tightly shutting your eyes as she as she bridges the gap and brings out a glowing blue spear, poising to strike.

You finally allow yourself to open your left eye and watch as her steps distance themselves from you. She disappears into the darkness, a sharp, glowing eye fading slowly behind the rest of her. She's another person straight out of a horror movie. Between Undyne and Flowey you wonder how many people will hunt you to the ends of the mountain.

You wade through the sea of green only to be met by a familiar, raspy voice on the other side. The armless, reptilian child runs in place, then jogs excitedly in a circle.

"Yo... did you see the way she was staring at you...?  
That...  
... was AWESOME! I’m SOOOO jealous! What’d you do to get her attention...?"

"I guess I let my guard down." You give a half hearted smile to the yellow youngster.

“Ha ha.” He laughs despite your joke being practically non-existent. Your smile warms in response. Adventurous, trusting, independent; so many things you wish you could be. It's impossible not to admire his spunk. “C’mon! Let’s go watch her beat up some bad guys!” Monster Kid sprints ahead of you, quickly falling flat on his face.

You instinctively gasp and reach toward him, but he pops up in no time, plastering his wide smile back on his face and scampering away as if it didn't hurt a bit. _That's pretty impressive._ You stare after him.

A feeling of dread hangs over you, but you stay determined.

 

* * *

 

“I just wasn’t ready for the responsibility.” The bright blue flower echoes in an unrecognizable voice. You frown, gazing at the psychologically damaged spinach egg pie for a moment, before crouching below the bench, and scooping up the container.

“It's okay. I've got you buddy.” You imagine if the pie were sentient, that it would cry and hug you, just like you did with Toriel when she left. You laugh at your own weak constitution. _I’m such a crybaby…_

You shift things around in your sack, but you’re nearly out of room now. An entire pie, though on the small side, is bound to take up a lot of space, but you've taken responsibility. You won't leave it behind.

You gently lift the bridge flowers, letting them float down the stream before you. When all four align, they bloom. Gigantic pink petals flair out, connecting each other across the stream. You gingerly step in the center of the first, briskly crossing over them when it holds, as the two flowery bridges before had.

The time alone begins to suck you into the thoughts you’ve worked so hard to avoid when your phone begins to ring. Thankful for the distraction, you answer.

“Hello?”

“HELLO! THIS IS PAPYRUS!!!” The all-too-familiar voice booms from the other end. You hold the receiver away from your ear before permanent damage takes hold of the delicate tissues and hairs which lend themselves to your hearing.

You’re a bit disappointed that it isn't who your fleeting thoughts believed it to be, but you're pretty glad to hear from him. Maybe he could reassure you about earlier.

“Hey Paps! How did you get my number?” You inquire, knowing that he didn't take yours, and you haven't called him yet.

“IT WAS EASY!!! I JUST DIALED EVERY NUMBER SEQUENTIALLY UNTIL I GOT YOURS!!! NYEH HEH HEH HEH!!” He sounds so proud, you can't help but giggle.

“How many people did you call before reaching me?”

“THAT'S…  
THAT IS NOT IMPORTANT! THE IMPORTANT THING IS YOUR CLOTHING.  
SO…  
WHAT ARE YOU WEARING…?”

“The same thing I was twenty minutes ago. Why?” You ask, getting used to his ridiculous questioning.

“I’M ASKING FOR A FRIEND. SHE THOUGHT SHE SAW YOU WEARING A FADED RIBBON. IS THAT TRUE? ARE YOU WEARING A FADED RIBBON?”

“Uh, well, yeah… you saw me wearing it. You even mentioned it earlier.”

“SO YOU ARE WEARING A FADED RIBBON...  
GOT IT!!! WINK WINK!!! HAVE A NICE DAY!” He hangs up, leaving you wondering if you should take the ribbon off, but removing the thing that keeps you from feeling like your head will lop off sounds like just about the worst idea you can think of. You wonder what Papyrus has up his sleeve as you exit through the doorway. You do feel better about his intentions, though, considering the verbal winks he gave you.

 

* * *

 

'Wishing Room' a plaque with glowing letters shows at the end of the walkway. The effect the echo flowers have inside the room is amazing. The faded reverberation of people's past exchanges as sparkling stones refract on the surface of the cavern gives such a giddy, mysterious feel to the place. It's like the midnight stroll you always dreamed of. As you walk through, those passing conversations become clearer.

“A long time ago, monsters would whisper their wishes to the stars in the sky. If you hoped with all your heart, your wish would come true. Now, all we have are these sparkling stones on the ceiling...”

You furrow your brow at the implication. As far as you've seen, there aren't nearly this many stars in the sky, and they don't shine nearly so bright as these stones sparkle. Light pollution has long since destroyed that view. _How long have they been down here?_ You hadn't thought about it before, but you've never really heard of any “inelegant” life that wasn’t human. “Monsters” have always been construed as children’s wild imaginations.

“Thousands of people wishing together can’t be wrong! The king will prove that.” The ghost of a younger voice softly rings. “C’mon, sis! Make a wish!”

“I wish my sister and I will see the real stars someday...”

You pause, listening to the flower repeat its last heard phrase several times. This isn't the first time you've been told how unhappy people are down here, but it is the first time you've realized the significance. It’s the first time you’ve realized that they have the same wishes as you.

At one point, these people lived outside of this mountain. They had the sweet taste of freedom, and sunlight, and crisp, sweet air. Now those things are only a legend to them, and monsters themselves are a legend to humanity.

You know what it is to not exist, and for the outside world to be a dream, yet thousands of people are down here feeling that, and pretending to be happy anyway.

As everything starts to come together, you can't help but think that leaving will be harder than you can bring yourself to imagine. Desperation breeds contempt, and you've seen first hand how difficult it can be to revert the bad intentions that come with it.

You only notice after looking through a telescope a few feet away that there doesn't seem to be a way forward in this room. “Check wall” is written inside the lens. You feel along several surfaces, eventually finding a weak point in the northern wall. You don't have to push hard for a large hole to crumble.

You step over the rubble and onto a dock with several epitaphs lining the wall. They're difficult to make out, but you manage.

“The war of humans and monsters.  
Why did the humans attack? Indeed, it seems that they had nothing to fear. Humans are unbelievably strong. It would take the soul of nearly every monster...  
...just to equal the power of a single human soul.  
But humans have one weakness. Ironically, it is the strength of their soul. Its power allows it to persist outside the human body, even after death.  
If a monster defeats a human, they can take its soul. A monster with a human soul... a horrible beast with unfathomable power.”

There's an illustration of a strange creature on the final inscription. There's something very unsettling about it.

At least you now know why they want your soul.

There seems to be a dead end before you. A somewhat loose board sticks from the side of the port. It looks just large enough for you to get on all fours and row your way across. You sit on your knees at the edge of the dock and languidly test the piece of wood with your hand to see if it will float. The trip to the other side wouldn’t be too long of a swim, but you would rather not get yourself, and everything you're carrying, wet if you can help it.

The piece easily breaks off and begins to float beneath your fingers. You heedfully slide into it, ready to back off if it begins to sink. Instead, the rushing water rather unexpectedly carries you to your destination as your final leg slips from the dock.

You lift an arm, ready to grab at your intended target, and brace for the impact of your driftwood boat against the harbor.

The pieces collide and your hand dulls the bounce back by gripping the opposite side. You hoist yourself onto the next surface, attempting not to tip your makeshift raft while you do.

Things are too quiet while you pull yourself to your feet and inch across the area. An ominous feeling overtakes as the expanse of winding wood makes itself known. The striking impression of lack of mobility eclipses you as you take your final step for the second time in the underground.

~********~

A distinct, sharp pain enters your right foot as it touches down. You cry out, attempting to yank yourself away from the thing that is causing the agony, but you are pinned in place by a familiar glowing spear. You screech and desperately wrench at the enemy of your escape as several of its comrades aim themselves at you in perpetration for your next demise.

They only hesitate a moment before ramming through your body, thrusting and pinning you to the ground. The sickening snap of your ankle joins your gurgling shrieks in the melody of your slaughter.

Fiery pain gushes through you as you struggle against your spiked bindings. Your hip, your torso, twice, your right arm. Your neck. You aren’t as lucky this time.

The second death isn’t as quick.

~********~

 

* * *

 

You’re back on the dock. You don’t remember a SAVE happening here.

 _It doesn’t matter._ This will only get you to your destination faster. You force yourself onto the driftwood to knock at deaths door once more. _They must be getting sick of me._ You smile at the visualization of an exasperated death throwing open the door.

_“I thought I took care of you!”_

_“Not this time.”_ Hopefully this time, you can beat them.

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should I rewrite this?


	6. Life is Hard. I'm Harder ;)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stuff happens. Why are you reading this? Start reading already!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo this is Editorsan, Named is a bit busy so I get to say hi. Hi. I'll leave some recommended music at the bottom for this chapter, especially for a certain scene (you'll know when you get there). We love hearing from you guys and wanna know what y'all think of this chapter in the comments below. Smell ya later! -Editorsan
> 
> Holy Mountain - System of Annoying Dog  
> https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nYSeLs6Ydn4
> 
> Dear Dog - Avenged Sevenfold  
> https://youtu.be/mzX0rhF8buo
> 
> Freedog - Lynyrd Skynyrd  
> https://youtu.be/D0W1v0kOELA

“Yo… did you see that!? Undyne just…  
… TOUCHED ME! I'm never washing my face ever again…! Man, are you unlucky. If you were standing just a LITTLE bit to the left…!” Monster Kid rushes through his words enthusiastically.

You look at him, distressed. Undyne had just **grabbed him by the face** , and he’s more than a little excited by it. Honestly, you thought he could be really hurt, but you weren’t able to find him after looking through the brush, so you ran out to get help. Here he is though, twirling eagerly, completely ignorant to the fact that his “hero” had brutally murdered you only moments ago.

_But that never happened here._

At least Undyne has enough of a moral baseline to avoid hurting _monster_ children.

He looks at you sympathetically, completely misreading your grimace. “Yo, don’t worry! I’m sure we’ll see her again!” He rushes past you, face smacking into the pavement as he trips.

You wince at the vicarious pain. “You okay?” You ask uneasily.

He’s already dashing away, offering a quick “Yep!” back to you as he does so.

An idea forms as you watch him leave. _Maybe I can try…_

Seeing how easily Monster Kid picks himself up after falling fills you with determination!

You meditate on the feeling that encompassed you in the past SAVE’s. It’s a lot more difficult. It takes all of your concentration, but you manage to SAVE.

 _How is it so easy when I'm not trying?_ You ponder. _Oh well, no more Undyne_. You smile to yourself. _At least not for now._ You know better than to think she’s gone for good.

A gloomy air surrounds you as you make your way through the catacombs, but the familiar face ahead forces a grin onto your lips. Just having the familiarity brings you comfort. You aren’t dealing well so far, you admit to yourself, but the prankster has a way of making you forget that.

“Hiya, Sans!” You wave, slightly mocking the accent of Snowdin Village.

“sup, pal?” He gives you a two digit wave as you finish making your way to him. “i’m thinking about getting into the telescope business.” He thumbs to the telescope on his right. “it’s normally 50000G to use this premium telescope… but… since I know you, you can use it for free. howzabout it?” _Wink_.

You look between Sans and the telescope a couple times before nodding. This is assuredly a prank, but curious is your middle name, and you won’t be able to rest until you know what it is. _Maybe it’s like the fried snow prank. Or maybe he has a tiny eye-sized whoopee cushion on the scope!_

You become several steps more excited for a potential eye fart than should ever exist.

He pushes the base of the telescope toward you, and you lean down a bit to look through. An even red color meets your vision. _He must have put red paper or something on the lens._ You move the scope around, but nothing changes. You’re admittedly a bit disappointed that the joke was so lame. If you wanted an obscured viewing experience, you would stare through the “check wall” telescope instead. At least you could still see a bit of the beautiful stone ceiling through _that_.

You remove your face from the defective scope and pout at Sans.

“huh?” He holds back a snicker. “you aren’t satisfied?”

You shake your head. “I expected much better from you.” You huff.

“don’t worry.” _Wink._ “i’ll give you a full refund.”

You roll your eyes and sigh at the skeleton before trapesing into a room just to his right. The ice cream bunny is leaning on his cart, ears drooping, and looking depressed as ever.

You mosey up, waiting for him to spill the beans.

He sighs in desperation. “I relocated my store, but there are still no customers...” He then perks up, lifting his ears and plastering on the ice cream man smile. “Fortunately, I’ve thought of a solution!! Punch cards!!  
Every time you buy a Nice Cream, you can take a punch card from the box.  
If you have 3 cards, you can trade them for a free Nice Cream! They’re sure to get the customers to come back!”

He clears his throat and begins his overly-scripted catchphrase. “Nice Cream! It’s the frozen treat that warms your heart! Now just 25G!”

You smile nervously at him. “Um, I would get some, but… I'm not really hungry, and I don’t have much room in my bag…” You trail off.

“Well then…  
Tell your friends…  
There’s ice cream…  
Hidden in the depths of a watery cavern…” His over-enthusiastic façade doesn’t falter a bit. In fact, his smile only widens.

Suddenly you find it a bit creepy. “O-okay.” You wave at him, backing out of the small offshoot. “I'll do that.”

You don’t.

 

* * *

 

“So? Don’t you have any wishes to make?”

“…hmmm, just one, but…  
It’s kind of stupid.”

It feels wrong to keep listening to people’s conversations. There isn’t much that can be done about it, though. You wonder why they feel it’s safe to speak so freely around something that repeats whatever words it last heard.

 _My…_ (you mentally spit the next word) _parents… would kill for something like this. One in every corner of every room!_ A short, bitter laugh escapes you right when your phone rings. You jump a bit in surprise before answering. “Hello?”

“HELLO! THIS IS PAPYRUS!!!”

You hold the phone a few inches away from your ear. “Hey Paps. What’s up?”

“REMEMBER WHEN I ASKED YOU ABOUT CLOTHES?”

You nod into the phone. “Yeah. Why…?”

“WELL, THE FRIEND WHO WANTED TO KNOW…  
HER OPINION OF YOU IS VERY…  
MURDERY. BUT I BET YOU KNEW THAT ALREADY! AND BECAUSE YOU KNEW THAT…  
I TOLD HER WHAT YOU TOLD ME YOU WERE WEARING! A FADED RIBBON! BECAUSE I KNEW, OF COURSE…  
AFTER SUCH A SUSPICIOUS QUESTION…  
YOU WOULD OBVIOUSLY CHANGE YOUR CLOTHES! YOU’RE SUCH A SMART COOKIE! THIS WAY YOU’RE SAFE AND I DIDN’T LIE!!! NO BETRAYAL ANYWHERE!!! BEING FRIENDS WITH EVERYONE IS EASY!”

“But Pa-” He hangs up before you can finish. “...I'm still wearing that…” Your voice wavers as you tighten you grip on the phone. “It doesn’t matter.” You force yourself to resume walking. _She knows what I look like now, anyway._

“Don’t say that! Come on, I promise I won’t laugh.” The echo flower coaxes as you pass.

You read the next piece of the underground’s history on the wall ahead. Maybe if you know more of their history, your escape will be easier.

“The power to take their SOULs. This is the power that the humans feared. This power has no counter.  
Indeed, a human cannot take a monster’s SOUL. When a monster dies, its SOUL disappears. And an incredible power would be needed to take the SOUL of a living monster.  
There is only one exception. The SOUL of a special species of monster called ‘Boss Monster.’ A Boss Monster’s SOUL is strong enough to persist after death… if only for a few moments. A human could absorb this SOUL. But this has never happened. And now it never will.”

 

* * *

 

A giant tentacle rises out of the murky water, slightly behind you, making a loud splash. The room you entered is filed with water. Only a natural pathway connects the previous room to the next. You quicken your pace, pretending not to notice, until a second tentacle ascends on the opposite side.

You half jog-walk to the doorway as the rightmost tentacle follows close behind you. Halfway to the exit, it splashes back into the lake.

You halt. A large, gurgly, sloshing noise turns your attention leftward.

A bulbous, yellowy-white creature, whose head ends in a sharp point, breaks the surface. Their large eyes twinkle with sincere excitement. They have a light blush, and are wearing a large, uneven grin. What looks like the two tentacles are posed in a somewhat dramatic fashion, the closest one waving happily at you.

“Hey… there…  
Noticed you were…  
Here…” They struggle. “I'm Onionsan! Onionsan, y’hear!” Their face instantly derps in the most fantastic way you’ve ever seen.

You giggle at the expression. “I heard ya! Onionsan, right? I'm Frisk.” You wait a few awkward moments before waving at them and turning to leave. “Well, I better get going. It was nice meeting you.”

Onionsan follows you, swimming sideways and staring at you with that amazing face. After a few steps, they pipe up again. You pause politely.

“You’re visiting waterfall, huh!  
It's great here, huh!  
You love it, huh!”

“Uh, yeah. It's very scenic.” You nod.

Their face shifts back to the wide-eyed, uneven grin. “Yeah! Me too! It's my Big Favorite.”

“O-oh… that's… very good.” You shift nervously before cautiously sliding a foot along the surface of the stony path.

Onionsan inches along with you, soon dipping their face under the surface of the water. “Even though, the waters getting so shallow here…  
I, have to sit down all the time, but…”  
They sploosh up. “H-hey! That's OK! It beats moving to the city! And living in a crowded aquarium!” They look like they’re about the to cry. “Like all my friends did!”

You start to ask if they’re okay, but their lip quivers as if they'll burst out crying if you speak. You opt to keep walking, as it seems to provoke them to continue.

They duck under the water. “And the aquarium’s full, a-anyway, so, even if I wanted to, I…” They derp up, a new gusto behind their voice. “That's okay though, y’hear! Undyne’s gonna fix everything, y’hear! I'm gonna get out of here and live in the ocean! Y’hear!”

You tense, both from the mention of Undyne, and the friendly reminder that everyone in this place is unwittingly rooting for her to kill you. “Cool” is all you can manage to choke out. You bite you lip and speed-walk, attempting to leave before you cry in front of your new acquaintance.

“Hey… there…” They place a tentacle above their eyes and peer into the next room, as if to assist in seeing a faraway object.

You stop, staring straight ahead.

“That's the end of this room.  
I'll see you around!  
Have a good time!  
In Waterfallllllllllllllllllllllllllllll” They slowly sink into the (apparently not deep) depths of the lake.

You hurry into the hallway where Onionsan can't see you. _Why does everyone have to be like this?_ Tears threaten you as the familiar, empty, bleeding pain grips at your chest. They want to be friends. They want you dead.

_It’s confusing. It hurts. I just want things to make sense. Is that so much to ask?_

You clutch the fabric resting above the internal wounds and breath deep, squeezing your eyes shut, to hold back the already cracking damn. _Enough._ You scold yourself. _I have a barrier to reach. I have a sister to save. I have a cheap, cheating bastard to get past._ You tread aggressively, hardly noticing your resumption in movement.

One way or another, you’ll get your face time with her. She can’t hide in the shadows throwing spears forever, and you have all the time in the world.

A small fish girl, huddled in the corner of the room, pulls your attention away from yourself. She looks to have an asymmetrical bob haircut, and her fishy head seems to float above her mermaid-like body. She occasionally let’s out random, soft notes. It seems like she’s attempting to sing, but is too shy.

She stops immediately and hides her face when you approach. You stoop down to meet her gaze and smile decisively at her. “Hi. I'm Frisk. What’s your name?”

She recluses further into herself.

Aron, a mildly annoying seahorse **WITH THE ABS OF A GOD** , nods in approval from across the room. You’ve bumped into him a few times. Flexing contests ensued. You roll your eyes and tell him to shoo.

“You’ll change your mind ;)” He flexes, presumably to show you what you’re missing.

You aren’t sure why you always imagine his wink in emoji form, but he definitely seems the type to put one at the end of every text.

You look back at the girl in front of you and furrow your brow, thinking for a moment. _She seems to like singing._ You start humming the tune of one of your favorite songs.

She looks up at you happily and follows your melody. Your eyes widen in surprise. Her voice is amazing. She’s very talented with a little encouragement.

You’ve switched your humming to a complimentary backup tune when Aron strides up, acoustic guitar in hand. He waves his mane majestically, playing to the melody as the two of you sing.

Monsters begin to draw in, resulting in an increasingly large crowd. One of them ushers the three of you away from the corner and onto a platform in the center of the room. Suddenly, it’s a concert! People are shouting a name. You realize it’s the name of the fish girl. She moves to the front of the band, singing her heart out to the enlarging number of adoring fans.

 **Shyren! Shyren! Shyren!** The crowd shouts.

“Don’t forget me ;)” Aron winks. Several teen girls squeal in delight.

You see Sans at the entrance selling tickets made of toilet paper. He “happens” to appear on whichever side a new monster draws in.

The room is soon packed, monsters gathered on all sides of the stage. Sans has run out of toilet paper and is turning new people away.

You feel like a rock star as Shyren and yourself sing in perfect unison. Aron rocks out an epic guitar solo. Somehow his guitar is now electric! He slides across the stage on his tail. A teen froggit girl screeches his name as he blows a kiss to the crowd.

They begin tossing clothing. It’s a storm of socks!

You backflip across the stage behind your two band mates. The crowd eats it up, screaming wildly.

The group keeps rocking, but the constant attention…  
The tours…  
The groupies…  
It’s all…

Shyren thinks about her future. The band has come so far, but it’s time. You all have your own journeys to embark on.

You play a farewell song. Small lights of magic reflect the image of the shining stones above onto the crowd as they wave them to the beat. People embrace and cry as they sing along with Shyren.

The song finishes and you all say your goodbyes.

“Goodnight Waterfall! We love you!” You shout to the crowd at the end of your speeches. Aron kisses his muscles, and your band mates begin to sign autographs and take pictures as you lift up your hood, quietly slipping through the remnants of your fans.

Luckily, no one seems to be going the same way as you.

At least, that’s what you thought, until you beelined into Sans because you were too busy looking at the ground to pay attention.

You fall right on your butt with an “oompf”. Sans stumbles back a few steps.

“whoa. what’s the rush, kid?”

Your hood falls back and you look at the skeletal hand offering to help you up.

You take it, apologizing as he lifts you to your feet. “Sorry, I just didn’t want to get stopped by the crowd. I have someone… waiting for me.” You hesitate a bit on the last part.

“hm… wellp, i just wanted to tell you how great you were out there. you helped me sell alotta tickets.” He gives his signature Wink with a genuine smile.

“I'm sure those toilet paper scraps will be cherished for all eternity.” You chortle. “Though, I have something to ask. If there aren’t any bathrooms here, why do you have toilet paper?” You inquire.

“uh…” A single drop of sweat develops on his brow. He pulls out his phone, which is obviously off. “what’s that paps? a plot hole?” He covers the mouthpiece, avidly avoiding looking anywhere near your direction. “i, uh, gotta go fix that.”

He jets past you faster than you have ever seen him move, and disappears before you can turn around.

“What the hell was that about?” You blink.

 

* * *

 

You think about the glowing crystals left behind by the dog as you pick up a new umbrella to protect yourself from the rain. You are fully compelled to keep them, despite them taking up the last of the space in your bag. It isn’t that you haven’t tried get rid of them. They smell strongly of wet dog, and leave behind a strange residue on everything they touch. It's just... they _keep coming back._

You prefer to pretend this most recent encounter with the infamous white puppy never happened; that this “dog residue” You can't seem to get rid of simply doesn't exist.

Luckily, the ever-faithful Monster Kid distracts you from all of the recent strangeness.

“Yo, you got an umbrella? Awesome!” He dashes from under the natural canopy to share your more mobile one.

Once under, he gives you a strange look. “Yo… what’s up with your eye?”

“What?” You rub your fingers across the skin of the afflicted orb. A reddish, pink ink smears onto them. “What the…? Oooooh.” You howl, nearly doubling over, but a small piece of you manages to keep the umbrella steady.

Monster kid gives you an odd look before you explain. “It’s just a prank Sans played on me, I guess.”

“Oh. That’s a good one!” He grins. “I thought you beat someone up.” He gives his toughest look before eagerly striding away. “Let’s go!”

You scrub at the ink a bit while catching up to him, and protectively wrap an arm around his shoulders. _He has no arms, but his shirt does._ You grin at the slight irony of his sleeves. You are both fully under the protection of the umbrella this way.

The two of you take exaggerated steps in unison, giggling when you are splashed by the large puddles.

“Man, Undyne is sooooooo cool.” Monster Kid has a nostalgic look on his face. The two of you stop splashing.

You nod in false affirmation. You don’t blame MK for looking up to her, or for unknowingly thinking you’re a “bad guy”. He just doesn’t know better. He’s a good friend. You can tell.

“She beats up bad guys and NEVER loses. If I was human, I would wet the bed every night…  
…knowing she was gonna beat me up! Ha ha.”

“Every night, huh?” You tease.

“Maybe not _every_ night.” He blushes.

Further up, he stops to look at an echo flower. “So, one time. We had a school project where we had to take care of a flower. The king - we had to call him “Mr. Dreemurr” - volunteered to donate his own flowers. He ended up coming to school and teaching the class about responsibility and stuff. That got me thinking… YO! How cool would it be if UNDYNE came to school!? She could beat up ALL the teachers!!”

You lower your arm, mostly because it’s starting to hurt.

“Ummm, maybe she wouldn’t beat up the teachers…  
She’s too cool to ever hurt an innocent person!” He puffs his chest proudly.

You outwardly laugh, but your attempt to suppress it makes it sound like strange, yippy hiccup. Monster kid politely ignores it.

You walk in silence the rest of the way, only pausing to take in the view of the castle in the background. _There it is. My final destination._

After making your way through a crumbling archway, MK runs up to a huge ledge. “Yo, this ledge is way too steep…”

“Yeah.” You crook your neck to see the top. “How’re we gonna get over this?” You stare at it, dismayed.

“Yo,” He turns to face you. “You wanna see Undyne, right…?”

“Well, yeah I guess.”

“Put up your umbrella and climb on my shoulders.”

He sits on his knees against the ledge as you stash the soggy umbrella into the provided receptacle. You climb up his shoulders as carefully as you can. He doesn’t seem bothered. You may be taller than him, but you are still very light.

Once on top, you peak out over the edge.

“Yo, you go on ahead.” Monster Kid looks up at you.

“But what about you?” You point out.

“Don’t worry about me. I always find a way to get through!”

“Okay.” It’s better if he isn’t with you. You don’t want him getting hurt because of you.

You watch him run off entirely too quickly, falling because of it.

You lift yourself up when he’s out of sight.

The serene sound of a distant music box…  
It fills you with determination.

You read the slabs of wall history in the room, wondering why they’re in such inconvenient places.

“The humans, afraid of our power, declared war on us. They attacked suddenly, and without mercy.  
In the end, it could hardly be called a war. United, the humans were too powerful, and us monsters, too weak. Not a single SOUL was taken, and countless monsters were turned to dust…”

You frown at the stone. These feelings aren’t feelings you should be having. You have bigger things to worry about. You shouldn’t care about what happened millennia ago to people that want you dead.

But you can’t help but think of them. Monster Kid. Papyrus. Sans. Toriel. Hell, even Aron. Trapped forever. No escape.

Yet you know what will happen to Tallulah if you give up your soul. You can’t let that happen. You grit your teeth as anger seeps into you. You hate this. You hate that you’re made to feel this way. There shouldn’t be a conflict. It’s such a simple choice. You came here for one thing, and one thing only: to find a safe place for your sister and you. It isn’t here, so why does everything have to stand in your way? Why does life have to be so draining?

You step onto the wooden terrain. You know she’s coming any second, yet you feel so unprepared. Play time must be over.

 

* * *

 

You stare into the void. You feel yourself empty of emotion. It’s over. Though you managed to avoid most of her pooling attacks, one of the jutting spikes was thrust fully through your thigh. The end of the dock is clearly too tall to jump from, and you’re too injured to run from her again.

Trickles of blood dribble to the wooded support beneath you as you limp back to your attacker, defeated. Your only point of redemption is that you’re able to face this death head on. You’ll go out standing tall.

She’s on the upper level with you, now. You walk toward each other, stopping several feet apart in a dance of silent patients.

You don’t last long. You aren’t a patient person. Fury explodes inside of you as you stare each other down. Your voice erupts into a venomous growl. “What the FUCK are you waiting for!? My fucking wounds to heal!? Are you too much of a coward to kill me face to face!?”

You hardly see the flash of lightning blue before you.

This isn’t what you were expecting.

The bridge drops first, then the G-Force rips through, forcing a scream from your lungs.

You don’t remember hitting the bottom.

 

* * *

 

“It sounds like it came from over here…  
Oh! You've fallen down, haven't you…  
Are you okay?  
Here, get up…

…

Chara huh?  
That's a nice name.

 

 **M   y        n   a   m   e        i   s** ”

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dog is love. Dog is life.
> 
> Woof!  
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	7. I Don't Want to be Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I was actually going to have this chapter out early, but then life was like "I feel like shitting on someone for several days in a row. Named, how about you?"
> 
> And I was like "No life I really want to get this chapter out early!"
> 
> And life was like "Too bad!"
> 
> So, yeah...
> 
> But I love you.

Blood. There's blood on your hands.

No, not on your hands. It's everywhere. Its on your clothes, in piles surrounding your feet, streaking your hair, a thick, putrid layer coats the inside of your mouth. You clutch at yourself, desperately trying to find and cover your open wound, but you aren't hurt. You realize this isn't blood, it’s just dust. So then why are you screaming? And why does it feel like the world is about to come to an end?

 

* * *

 

You don’t want to open your eyes. This situation feels all too familiar. The headache, the smell of the flowers, the confusion. You think about the strange dreams you just had. _Who is Chara? And…_ You can't stomach the thought of the next one. Something about that name and those dust caked hands…

You suddenly force yourself up, remembering the all too important Snowy and butterscotch pie. God’s, they seem like such small things, but you feel like you'll break without them. You breathe a sigh of relief as you find that only a few things scattered out across the plywood surrounding you. You may be unlucky, but it is the best of the worst possible outcome with you.

You scoop the escaped items back into your pack, wincing when you accidentally leaned on your injured leg, and hold it over your head before timidly dipping a foot into the water. With a jolted splash, you are chest deep inside. You heave a little at the shock of the cold before wading through. The water is kind of thick, and smells a little off. _Good thing I thought ahead...  
Except now I’m probably going to die of an infection._

The waterfall here seems to flow from the ceiling of the cavern. Occasionally, a piece of trash will flow through and fall into the bottomless abyss below. Viewing this endless cycle of worthless garbage… it fills you with determination.

You prod at the small tears in your black tights, humming in approval. _Saving heals wounds. Who knew?_ You hadn’t really been injured and/or aware enough to notice until now. _This is VERY useful information._

Soon, you stumble on a training dummy, exactly the same as the one Toriel asked you to talk to in the ruins. Nostalgia washes over you as you recall the sweet feeling of being guided through life. Hand in paw, no worries. No pain. You could have so easily left your issues behind forever, if it were only yourself you came here for.

The dummy and yourself stare into each other’s eyes for a moment as you contemplate these things.

And then it attacks you, because of course it does.

 

* * *

 

”Why can’t I walk ten feet without someone trying to kill me!?!?!?!?” You wail as perfect, tear shaped droplets rain from the sky. _Wait, this isn’t rain…_

You would recognize those tears anywhere. “Napstablook!!!” You shout with joy. Your arms are tired and sore. You’re soggy with garbage-soaked water. You’re done being harassed by strangers for no reason.

The dummy bends forward, trying, and failing, to avoid the tears.  
“Wh  
What the heck is this!?  
Ergh!” He twitches  
“Acid rain!?! Oh FORGET IT! I'm outta here!” He swoops away into an unknown corner of the dump.

Napstablook floats closer, distraught look on his ghostly face. “… sorry, i interrupted you, didn’t i?”

“No not at all. I'm so happy you’re here!” You say gleefully.

“as soon as i came over, your friend immediately left…” He looks sadly in the direction of the Mad Dummy’s dismissal.

“It’s okay, really!”

“oh no… you guys looked like you were having fun…  
oh no… i just wanted to say hi…  
oh no………………………………………….” He fades away, almost immediately reappearing and inviting you (timidly) over to his house. Thank the **AB** gods. Your constant need for distraction from this reality is becoming as strong as a dying man’s need for water in the desert.

“well… i’m going to head home now…  
oh… um… feel free to ‘come with’ if you want…  
or not… i understand if you’re busy…” He floats ahead and you follow, happy to finally be free of the stench encompassing the area. At least, what isn’t clinging to your clothes. You exhale with relief when you’re finally out of the water and are able to lower your arms. You wiggle them around a bit, willing blood flow back into them. Holding your bag on your head the entire time you were running away from the dummies magical projectiles gave them that pins and needles feeling.

“hey… my house is up here…  
in case you want to see…  
or in case… you don’t…” Napstablook floats backward as you follow him inside, pruney toes squishing in your socks.

He is working away on his computer, and seems surprised at your entrance. “oh... you really came…”

“I mean, yeah. You invited me.” You voice in a matter-of-fact manner before giving him a side eye. “Right?”

“yeah, sorry, i… wasn’t expecting that. it’s not much, but make yourself at home.”

You apprehensively step inside and set your bag on the floor. There’s a fridge immediately in front of you, a TV to your right, and a computer to the right of that, all on the northern wall. On the southern side, there are three CD players, each with separate CD’s.

“uh, do you wanna… listen to some tunes…  
or something…” He offers.

Walk over to the players and pick a CD labeled “spookwave”, sliding it in and clicking play. You dig it. He seems happy with your choice.

“dang... that ambiance… it’s like my whole body is being spooked…”

You giggle at the response and move over to the fridge. You’re very curious to see what ghosts eat.

“oh… are you hungry…” He questions to the best of his ability. Inflection is not his friend, it seems.  
“i can get you something to eat…”

You back away as he floats to the fridge, pulling out a milky looking square. “this is a ghost sandwich… do you want to try it…”

“Yes please!” Your eyes glint at the thought of trying ghost food. You attempt to bite into the sandwich, but you phase right through. You blink as the nothingness enters your mouth.

“oh… nevermind…” You hand him back the sandwich, which he consumes. “after a great meal I like to lie on the ground and feel like garbage… it’s a family tradition…  
do you want…  
… to join me…”

Well, you already smell the part, so “Yeah, that sounds awesome.”

“okay… follow my lead...” He guides you to the center of the room where you both lie on your backs, staring at the ceiling.  
“here we go… you’ll lie down as long as you don’t move. so… only move around when you want to get up, i guess.”

You aren’t sure what he means at first, but soon, the most amazing thing happens. The floor, walls and ceiling seem to disappear, leaving a mass of far off galaxies in its wake. A soothing music overtakes spookwave, calming you to the core. _Who needs therapy when you have Napstablook’s house?_

You stay like that for far longer than intended, melting away the tensions that have been bottling up over the course of the past few days. This is what you’ve been missing all your life.

_Forget Toriel and the ruins. Forget finding a safe place. Forget going back to the surface…_

You jolt up faster than a liger on steroids. That thought was not okay. Laying there was not okay. You need to get out of here.

Napstablook’s voice fades in as the space surroundings you dissipates. “well, that was nice… thank you…”

“It was nice.” Your smile is calm, if not a bit worried. “Too nice.” You chuckle nervously.

“uhhhh.. I'm gonna keep working on that mix cd.” He floats to his post at the computer, which is open to a music-sharing forum.

You say your goodbyes and grab your things. Spookwave is blaring through the entire area. Either Papyrus has successfully deafened you to the point that you never noticed the volume, or Napstablook has walls made of paper.

Aron and Woshua, a wash bin monster and genuine clean freak, are stopped in front of you. You listen in on their conversation.

“… what the HECK is that music?” Woshua glowers.

Aron ’s wide, frightened look compliments his friend perfectly. “I-I DUNNO, DUDE BUT IT’S SPOOKIN ME OUT ; )” He trembles.

“… this is worse than Shyren.” They drone.

“No way, Shyren is way less scary ; )” Aron accents his words with a classic wink.

“… if you’re so scared, why do you keep winking?” Woshua snaps.

“THESE ARE WINKS OF FEAR ; )” He’s practically cry-winking now.

“Forget it. This beat is too…  
… filthy.” They turn back to wherever they came from, leaving Aron behind.

“Wosh! Wait! Don’t leave me ; )” He seems to have trouble moving because of fear. “Is this creepy music my punishment for being creepy? ; )  
Please… stop… I'll never creep again ; )  
Wahhhhh!!!!! ; )” He finally manages to pry himself away from his frozen placement, running after them.

You’re a little upset you couldn’t get Woshua to clean you before they left.

 _Oh well, I guess that’s what ponds are for._ you lurk towards the garbled sounds of the echo flowers ahead.

 

* * *

 

“Hurt, beaten, and fearful for our lives, we surrendered to the humans. Seven of their greatest magicians sealed us underground with a magic spell. Anything can enter through the seal, but only beings with a powerful SOUL can leave.  
There is only one way to reverse this spell. If a huge power equivalent to seven human SOULs, attacks the barrier...  
It will be destroyed.  
But this cursed place has no entrance or exits. There is no way a human could come here. We will remain trapped down here forever.”

“However…  
There is a prophecy. The Angel…  
The One Who Has Seen The Surface…  
They will return.  
And the underground will go empty.”

 

* * *

 

It’s dark now. There isn’t another lantern that you can see. Not even an opportunity to light your way. You’ve tried so hard to keep the light, but it’s always vanishing.

A puff of pollen interrupts your dark thoughts as you stumble into a familiar blue flower.

“B e h i n d   y o u .”

Light flickers into existence as you turn to face Undyne. You can tell from the way she clenches her fists that she’s still angry at you for roasting her.

“…  
Seven.  
Seven human souls.  
With the power of seven human souls, our king…  
King ASGORE Dreemurr…  
… will become a god. With that power, ASGORE can finally shatter the barrier. He will finally take the surface back from humanity…  
And give them back the suffering and pain that we have endured.  
…  
Understand, human?  
This is your only chance at redemption. Give up your soul…  
Or I’ll tear it from your body."

A deep, enraged smile spreads across your lips and eyes. _So much for king Fluffybuns._ You were warned, though. Toriel didn’t resort to fighting you for nothing.  
“I was right.” You stand tall, attempting to make yourself look braver than you feel. She always corners you, leaving you defenseless. You don’t want to give her the satisfaction of fear.

A spear has already formed in her hands. She takes two slow, calculated steps toward you.

“You are a coward!” Your shout is deep and gravely as she sprints after you.

“Undyne!!”

You pale at hearing the familiar voice as it leaps from a grassy patch next to you. Undyne stops mere millimeters from his head.

“I'll help you fight!!!” Monster Kid looks between Undyne and yourself. His face brightens when he sees you.

Undyne is still holding that stupid spear to his head. You don’t take your eyes off her. So help you if she moves an inch, if she hurts him, you’ll give her a death as painful as the one she gave you. You’ll find a way.

“YO!!!  
You did it!!! Undyne is RIGHT in front of you!!! You’ve got front row seats to her fight!!!” He looks between you again. His realization is physically painful for you.  
“… wait. Who’s she fighting???” Undyne releases the spear and grabs Monster Kid by the cheek, plowing off. “H-hey! You aren’t gonna tell my parents about this, are you?”

The echo flower repeats his plead in the background as he’s dragged away. It’s probably best to move on. You don’t believe she would hurt him on purpose. As much as you hate her, she’s made it evident that she doesnt have a blood lust. She’s out to hurt _you_ specifically.

You step into the marsh, lined with blue echo flowers.

“… hmmm… if I say my wish…  
You promise you won’t laugh at me?” It catches you off guard, despite having heard so many pieces of conversation from them already.

“Of course I won’t laugh!”

“Someday, I’d like to climb this mountain we’re all buried under. Standing under the sky, looking at the world all around…  
That’s my wish.”

Laughter dribbles from the next flower, along with a protest. “… hey, you said you wouldn’t laugh at it!”

“Sorry, it’s just funny…  
That’s my wish, too.”

 

* * *

 

You pause as your feet find dry land. You hear something barely audible over the running water and splashing of your steps. You set your things down on the mostly dry surface as quietly as you can, and listen. It’s only a whisper, but you hear it again.

You race back from where you came, and you see it. You see HIM. That flash of yellow that's always appearing in your peripheral vision. He must be distracted by what he’s saying into the echo flower. He sees you and quickly delves beneath the water before you can even get close.

“FLOWEY!!!” You throw yourself under the water, clawing at the roots and mud he escaped through, only resurfacing when your lungs scream for air. You gasp and sputter as you prepare to shout profanities into the empty room when you hear her.

Toriel.

She’s calling…  
For you.

“Where oh where could that child be…? I’ve been looking all over for them…” You reach out, brushing the petals of the flower longingly.

“ ** _H_ e _e_ h _e_ e _h_ e _e_. _T_ H _A_ T’ _S_ n _o_ t _t_ r _u_ e. _S_ h _e_ ’ _l_ l _f_ i _n_ d _a_ n _o_ t _h_ e _r_ k _i_ d, _a_ n _d_ i _n_ s _t_ a _n_ t _l_ y _f_ o _r_ g _e_ t _a_ b _o_ u _t_ y _o_ u _._ Y _o_ u _’_ l _l_ N _E_ V _E_ R _s_ e _e_ h _e_ r _a_ g _a_ i _n._** ” Flowey’s shrill vocals permeate your trance.

You retract robotically. Never trust a flower. That is a constant in this world. _He's been watching me. He watched me sleep!_ You shudder at the thought.

You don’t even care if you fall down the creaky, unstable bridge ahead of you. You’ll just mindlessly cross it again until you make it.

“Yo!” You quickly turn to see MK jogging up to you.

“What are you doing here?” You chide. “Undyne could be back any minute!”

“Yo, I know I'm not supposed to be here, but… I wanna ask you something.”

“What is it?” Your heart sinks a bit. You’re sure you know what he’s going to say.

He hesitates before speaking again. “Man, I’ve never had to ask anyone this before…  
Umm…  
Yo… You’re human, right? Haha.” He’s obviously nervous for the answer.

“Yeah.” You smile sadly at him. “I am.” You have to admit to yourself, you didn’t want him finding out. He’s such a ray of sunshine in this otherwise dark and lonely place.

“Man! I knew it!  
… well, I know it now, I mean…  
Undyne told me, um, ‘stay away from that human.’” He gets a far away look on his face.

You shift uncomfortably, using one arm to hold the other close to you while staring at the boards beneath your feet.

“So, like, ummm… I guess that makes us enemies or something.” He shuffles.

You tightly shut your eyes. “I guess it does.”

“I kinda stink at that, haha. Yo, say something mean so I can hate you?  
Please?”

You look up at him. His pleading eyes get to you. _He’ll be safer this way, anyway._ You force the deepest breath your body can muster. “Y-you’re lame and… s… stupid.” Your attempted angry look is that of a sad kitten who was refused play time. _that was such a dumb insult..._

“Huh…? Yo, that’s your idea of something mean? My sister says that to me ALL THE TIME! Guess I have to do it, haha.  
Yo, I… I hate your guts.” He winces at his words.

You return to looking at the floor, wringing your fingers.

“Man, I… I’m such a turd.” He looks at you with sad, desperate eyes. “I'm… I'm gonna go home now.”

He runs back in the direction you came from, tripping as always, but this time, off the bridge and onto a narrow cliff.

“Yo, w-w-wait! Help!”

You look up from your spot on the ground to find him hanging from the edge helplessly.

“MONSTER KID!!!” Your shrill, panicked voice echoes through the cavern.

“I tripped!” He squeaks.

The unmistakable tromping of Undyne’s metallic footsteps does nothing to stop you from getting to your target. You practically skid to the reptile, flinging yourself onto your stomach to help him up. You wrap your arms down the sides of his neck and around his waist. He uses his chin to get a grip on one of your arms, and his feet to push himself up.

He’s safe again. Your heart is pounding wildly, almost beating from your chest. He steps between you and Undyne as you shift onto your bottom, leaning on one hand, the other reaching limply out in front of you.

“Y… y… yo… dude…” MK might be stuttering, but this is his bravest moment. “If… If y-you wanna hurt my friend...” He finds himself, stealing Undyne his most courageous look. “You’re gonna have to go through me, first.”

Undyne steps back. Once, then twice. She then slips silently away, shaking in obvious rage.

MK turns to you. “She’s gone…” he states thoughtfully with a curt nod.

He stood up to his hero. For you. No one has EVER protected _you_. Not ever.

“Yo, you really saved my skin.” He breathes.

The floodgates open when he looks back at you. You fling onto him, still on your knees, sobbing into the chest of his stripped shirt.

He seems taken aback at first, but soon smiles sadly down at you. “H-hey, it’s okay…” He interjects when you’ve calmed a bit. “Guess being enemies was just a nice thought, haha. We’ll just have to be friends instead.”

You release him, wiping snot and tears on your sleeve as you do. “Yeah, I guess we will.” You sniffle.

“… man, I should REALLY go home…  
I bet my parents are worried sick about me!”

You agree, waving him away. “Yeah, they probably should be. You almost fell off a cliff.”

He nods nervously and walks a few steps away from you before shouting “Later, dude!” back at you.

He runs off. You shake your head. His parents really should be worried, with him always falling on his face.

You take a deep breath. You know she isn’t far. It's the calm before the storm. No other monsters are around while you march into another death.

You aren’t disappointed (well, you are, but at least you have a reliable gut). She stands above the entrance into the next room on a sharp, rocky walkway looking over you.

You step forward, into your fate.

 

* * *

 

You dodge the swipe meant to turn your soul green and immobile. “No. We’re doing it my way, this time.” There is no emotion in your voice. You’ve died for the last time, by her hand. You can’t even remember her stupid speech. Thank god you saved after it, and not before.

An intense delirious smile crosses her scaly blue face. “YOUR WAY! FUHUHUHU! What makes you think YOU get to decide!?!”

You pull out your trusty toy knife. It won’t do much damage, but it’s something, and it’s much easier to be agile with than a bulky spear. You toss your bag to the side and pray you can come back for it later. “Listen, Undyne, this eternal loop of death has been fun, really, but you see, this is becoming really tiresome. It's been a long day and you didn’t even have the courtesy to ask if I'm okay with fighting this way.”

You quickly sprint at her, slicing into her fish-like features and darting into the cavern in front of you. “AND I’M NOT!” You shout back at her.

Undyne is completely caught off guard by your mid-monologue attack. She pauses for a moment, her large, maniacal smile and blazing eyes, made more intense by the red, shadow-like hue surrounding them, shoot at you full force. Several spears fly toward you as you sprint. You hurl yourself into the air using your left foot and twirl over them, landing on your right.

Undyne will never admit it, but she thinks it was really cool.

She wasn’t far behind, and easily catches up to you during your display, grabbing your left foot while it’s in the air. She yanks at it hard during your attempt to reestablish balance. You slip back and land on the ground with a thud, face smacking into the stone floor. You try to shake loose as she drags you toward her, but her grip is too tight. You flip onto your back as she jabs her spear at you in her non-dominant hand. Bad move.

You stab through her right hand, nicking your shoe a bit in the process, but she lets go. You wrench the knife from her flesh and scurry away, grabbing a flyaway spear and thrusting it toward your foe. It hits her in the shoulder, but merely bounces off because of the armor.

Suddenly, your phone rings. Undyne stops dead. “Who’s calling you?” She questions.

You slow from a run to a stop and turn to face her. “What? Who gives a shi-“

“Well, ANSWER it!”

You give her your most hearty ‘what the fuck?’ look and hit the green phone button.

“HEY! WHAT’S UP!?” Papyrus shouts in your ear.

“Uh, is... this important, Paps? I'm kind of in the middle of something…”

“I WAS JUST THINKING…  
YOU, ME, AND UNDYNE SHOULD HANG OUT SOMETIME! I THINK YOU WOULD MAKE GREAT PALS!”

“That’s sounds… awful, actually.” You hear Undyne scoff behind you.

“AWFULLY AMAZING!? I KNOW!! I SURPASS EVEN MY OWN EXPECTATIONS SOMETIMES. LET’S MEET UP AT HER HOUSE LATER!” He thrills

“Seriously Papyrus?” You question in exasperation.

“YES.” He voices definitively before hanging up.

“Oh my god.” You shove your phone in your pocket, looking over your shoulder at Undyne. “See you there.” You smirk at her before dashing off.

“YOU LITTLE BRAT!” She shouts after you. “DIE ALREADY!!”

You hear her clunking getting closer and make the mistake of looking back. She utilizes your stall and tightly grabs your right wrist, the hand which contains the knife, wrenching it toward her.

She breaths heavily, through gritted teeth, staring dead into your wide eyes. “You’ve escaped from me for the LAST time!”

She slams your hand into the wall, causing you to drop the knife. She’s gripping her weapon tightly, raising it above her head in preparation to slam it through your body. With no other options, you look from the spear to her, and deck her hard in the face. Your hand cracks painfully against her teeth and you let out a squeak. Undyne releases you, moving her fingers along the side of her mouth and letting out a pained grunt. With no time to think or feel, you run faster than you ever have before.

Sans is asleep in a booth just ahead. You shout his name, but Undyne is so close. You don’t have time to waste on waking him for help. You charge past him and barely notice when Undyne pauses at his stand, giving him an exasperated look.

It quickly becomes unbelievably scorching. Lava is literally flowing only a few feet beneath you, and you’re still wearing that blasted sweater _and_ long sleeves. You honestly aren't sure how you're even alive. You stop for a moment to catch your breath when you hear Undyne slowing.

She’s struggling heavily with each step, and sweating profusely. “Armor… so… hot.. But I can't… Give up…” She forces a few more feet of distance from herself before collapsing.

You aren’t gonna lie to yourself, that sigh was of relief. You rip off your sweater and toss it on the ground, immediately approaching the water cooler which stands in the northern center of the peninsula.

You fill a cup with water and take half a second to look Undyne straight in the eye before guzzling it down.

 _That was nice._ You do it again. You feel a lot better. You fill another cup and dump it on the ground, a twisted smile forming on your lips.

Undyne’s expression doesn’t change. She just looks overheated. You sigh and fill another cup, swallowing your pride and walking over to her.

“You don’t deserve this.” You voice flatly before dumping the contents on her head in the general area of her mouth.

She struggles a bit before popping up as if new life has found her. It’s difficult to read her face, something akin to embarrassment and confusion, before she races back to Waterfall.

You snatched up your sweater, using it to wipe sweat from your brow. You huff, keeping a slow pace behind, and large distance between, yourself and Undyne.

Sans is gone. _What a flake. Thanks for the help, bone bag._

You pick up the phone and dial Papyrus to ask where Undyne lives. She's a fish, so probably Waterfall. You need to pick up your things, anyway.

The line rings. “Let’s get this over with.”

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like Frisk cries a lot. That has nothing to do with the fact that I would cry a lot in that situation! Not at all!
> 
> I ♡ hearing from you!  
> Would you cry a million times, or give a constant, steely gaze?


	8. Friendship is Magically Making Me Hate You Less

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Day 5 for once! I'm finally caught up after all the floop that's been happening (*^,^)/`"''

You don’t really want to admit it, but there’s no denying you backtracked this far to procrastinate against the inevitable “frenemy” situation that’s about to happen.

On the plus side, you look freaking adorable. It was a great decision to wear your leotard and black tights under your clothes, even if the tights have shiny new stab holes from your earlier ventures with Undyne. You found an old but elaborate pink tutu, and old point shoes with lace already on them. You twirl on your toes a few times excitedly. They even fit perfectly!

Why you thought it was a good decision to climb a mountain with this on under your clothes, you’ll never know, but at least you won’t die of heat stroke in Hotland.

The down side is that you had to leave your clothes in the nook where you found the tutu, as there certainly isn’t room in your bag. Waterfall has that temperate climate that allows for either warm or cold clothing, but if you ever decide to go back to Snowdin, you’ll definitely turn into a bisicle wearing this.

“Three gold for the ferry.” A pink, spherical blob monster with a cheerful face chirps when you approach. You deposit the gold into its open mouth, as you had when you last transported with them. “Hop on!” they chime.

This is your favorite way to travel in the underground. You try to step lightly on its face, but you’re unsure if it would rather you be rough, so you simply default to stepping on the same way as last time.

A large bubble overtakes you as you swiftly dip below the surface of the water. It’s almost like riding a translucent submarine. You take a lot of pleasure in observing the murky particles and plant life careening around the enclosure.

The two of you burst from the water, the bubble popping as you surface. You hop onto the dock daintily.

“Thanks for stepping on my face. Here’s 3 gold.” They spit the gold you had just deposited at your feet and you happily pick it up.

“Thank you!” You reply, skipping off.

You feel so twirly and happy and freaking bipolar. You figure extreme stress will do that to a person. Not that you haven't always lived in a constant state of extreme stress, but it’s far easier to handle with things you've already dealt with for years. Right now, you just feel like you might be going insane.

“Hey kiddo.” Sans is standing back at the telescope while you jaunt to Undyne’s.

You suspend skipping, just past him, and swish around to face him, hands clasped behind your back. “Yes sir!” You puff.

He chuckles a bit. “you seem pretty happy…”

You shrug, removing your hands from behind you. “Just trying to escape the mental turmoil of…” You pause for a moment. You aren’t sure how much you want him to know. “Having to become friends with Undyne!” You cheer.

He laughs heartily at both your words, and the disposition you displayed them in. “don’t tell her that if you want it to work.” He breathes.

“I can’t make any promises. My attitude always has gotten me into trouble.”

“I can tell.” _Wink._ He retorts.

“Oh! By the way, thanks for giving me pink eye earlier.” You wink back at him with the formerly stained eye, prodding it with your index finger. “Here’s 3 gold!”

You toss the change at him, which he catches as you run off. You hear more laughter, and a faint “thanks for the tip” as you ask for a ride across a stream from a small bird.

Passionate piano playing enters your eardrums as you approach Undyne’s house. Papyrus is waiting at the door of the blue, elaborate, and dragon-like, fish-shaped house for you.

“Hey Papyrus.” You wave sheepishly. You’re pretty nervous about this whole ‘making friends with your #1 murderer’ thing. _I mean, it was only three times, right? Just three little deaths._ Your mind frizzes. Really, you’re here for Papyrus. You just hope she’ll suck it up for his sake as well.

“OHO! THE HUMAN ARRIVES!” He hollers. “ARE YOU READY TO HANG OUT WITH UNDYNE?” He looks you over before clasping his hands to his cheeks. “YOU MUST BE READY! YOU ARE DRESSED TO IMPRESS!!”

“Thank you!” You swish. “I’m ready as I’ll ever be, I suppose.” Your smile slightly stiffens when you recall whose house you’re in front of.

“I HAVE A PLAN TO MAKE YOU TWO GREAT FRIENDS!”

“Are you sure this is a good idea, Papyrus? She really doesn’t like me, you know (andidontlikehereither).” You fake-sneeze the last bit.

“BLESS YOU, TINY HUMAN! I HAVE EVERY CONFIDENCE IN MY ABILITY AS A FRIEND-MAKER. YOU’LL BECOME BEST FRIENDS IN MERE MOMENTS, WITH ME TO GUIDE YOU!!” He turns to the door. “OKAY! STAND BEHIND ME!”

You position yourself in such a way to ensure Undyne won’t see you when she answers the door.

“PSST. MAKE SURE TO GIVE HER THIS!” Papyrus hands you a gift wrapped bone. “SHE LOVES THESE!”

You gingerly take it from him. “Uh, okay. Thanks.” You shift between feet apprehensively as he bangs on the door.

It quickly opens, reveling a rather non-aggressive looking Undyne. She looks a lot better without the murderous glint in her eye.

“Hi, Papyrus!” She says rather cheerfully. “Ready for our extra-private, one-on-one training?”

 _Oh no…_ you toil.

“YOU BET I AM!”

 _This is already too much…_ you stress.

“AND I BROUGHT A FRIEND!”

_Oh sweet Jesus._

Papyrus moves from in front of you, stepping to the left.

“Hi,” She seems a lot less angry than you anticipated. “I don’t think we’ve…” Her instantaneous glare burrows into you.  
“…”  
She casts the look at Papyrus. “…”

“…” Apparently, he chooses now to be silent. This is unhelpful at best. You decide to stare at your shoes instead of the death-glare she’s giving you.

“Why don’t.  
You two.  
Come in?” She struggles before retreating inside.

Papyrus gives an excited dance in front of the door as he follows.

 _Nope! Nope nopity nope nope._ You turn around to leave, but hear someone shouting a whisper to you from inside the house.

“NO! YOU CAN’T ESCAPE FRIENDSHIP!!”

You lurch to a stop and groan before heading inside. “Why me?”

The setup to her house is that of a studio apartment. Immediately to the left is a piano (possibly the one you heard a moment ago). To the right is a large dining room table. To the left rear is a door, which you assume leads to her bedroom. Along the back are kitchen counters and cabinets with a sink and stove nestled in, and a fridge to the far right. It isn't nearly as menacing as you had originally pictured, save for the gigantic, five foot long sword to the right of the table.

Papyrus nudges you as you walk inside. “HERE, UNDYNE. MY FRIEND BROUGHT A GIFT FOR YOU.  
ON THERE OWN!”

You hand him the gift, unwilling to make possible unwanted physical contact with Undyne in order to give it to her yourself.

“Uhhh… thanks.” She drags. “I'll, uh, put it with the others.” She takes it and opens a kitchen drawer, which is filled to the brim with identical ‘gifts’, and tosses it in. “So are we ready to start?” She manages somewhat casually.

“WHOOPSY DOOPSEY! I JUST REMEMBERED!” Papyrus’ eyes shift in a very ‘Doggo’ manner. “I HAVE TO GO TO THE BATHROOM!!” A broad smile plasters onto his face. “YOU TWO HAVE FUN!!!”

You both watch as he summersaults through the closed window to the left, smashing it to pieces. You and Undyne turn to each other.

Undyne glances back at the window before glowering at you. “So why are YOU here? To rub your victory in my face?” Her eyes move to the ground, but her head is still high. “To humiliate me even further?” That maniacal smile returns. “IS THAT IT?”

You take a moment to think before answering. “No, actually. But now I wish I had thought of that…” You rub your chin in contemplation.

“Then why are you here?” She ponders before giving you the look of a stoke of genius. “Wait, I get it. You think I'm gonna be friends with you, huh?” She glares. “RIGHT???”

You inhale deeply. “Let me make this clear.” You clasp your hands together, pointing the fingers at Undyne rhythmically to enunciate your words. “I will NEVER be _friends_ with _you_.”

“WHAT?” She scowls. “First you parade into my house, then you INSULT me? You little BRAT! I have half a mind to…  
…  
Wait.”

 _Oh no… what is that look?_ A nervous smile and sweat forms on your face.

“I'LL prove you WRONG. We ARE going to be friends.”

“But I don’t-“

“In fact…  
We.  
Are going to be BESTIES!” She clasps her hands to the sides of her face for emphasis.

You groan at the thought.

“I’ll make you like me so much…  
Your WHOLE LIFE will revolve around me!!” She pumps her fists in excitement. “It’s the perfect revenge!!! FUHUHUHUHU!!!”

You wait for her to stop her psychotic laughing, clearing your thought when she only continues.

“Err…” She clasps her hands together, attempting to give you a friendly smile. “Now, why don’t you have a seat?” She invites.

You go for the door, looking tensely over your shoulder when she interrupts you.

“Oh, leaving so soon?”

“Ye-”

“No.  
No you’re not.”

You slowly turn around and walk stiffly to the chair, sitting on the very edge.

“Comfortable?” She asks in an overly chipper tone.

You don’t answer.

“I'll get you something to drink.” She sets several containers on the counter.

You wait a few moments before moving to get up.

As soon as you stand, she launches a spear into the table, cracking it in half. You give an airy, nervous giggle from your position.

“HEY DON’T GET UP!!!” Her eyes are wide with a shocked, stony smile on her face. “YOU’RE THE GUEST!! SIT DOWN AND ENJOY YOURSELF!!!”

You sit, folding your hands in your lap and pursing your lips, unable to make a selection.

“… Um, why not just point at what you want? You can use the spear!” She sweats uneasily.

You tug it from the table and look at your options. Sugar, soda, hot chocolate, and tea. You point the spear at Undyne.

“… are you…  
Hitting on me????” She glares.

You continue pointing it at her, wiggling your eyebrows suggestively. “We might as well make the best of this… right?”

She glares harder “?????????????????”

You sigh and point at the sugar. You don't plan to make this easy on her.

“That sugar’s for the tea.” She grits. “I'm not gonna give you a cup of sugar! What do I look like? The ice-cream woman?”

“Yes?”

“Do ice-cream women TERRORIZE HUMANITY with ENERGY SPEARS? Are their ice-cream songs a PRELUDE TO DESTRUCTION? IS THAT IT?”

“Yes.” You state firmly.

“… what?  
REALLY?  
That rules!!!” She shouts excitedly.

 _No. Not really._ You can’t help but laugh at her reaction. Where does she get her information about humans if she believes that so easily?

You cut her some slack and point at the yellow box of tea.

The Golden Flower tea.

 

* * *

 

You really aren’t sure how things went so quickly from a quiet chat and tea drinking to smashing bananas and tomatoes for pasta. Bananas don’t even go in pasta. You already know how to cook, but you’re covered in sauce now, and there’s no turning back.

“Uhh, we’ll just scrape this into a bowl later.” Undyne tries to excuse the gutted mess of produce she had pulverized into the counter. “But for NOW!” She stomps the ground, shaking the entire house and causing a large pot, with a spoon, and a box of noodles to land on the stove.  
“… we add the noodles! Homemade noodles are the best! BUT I JUST BUY STORE-BRAND!” She cackles. “THEY’RE THE CHEAPEST!!! NGAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!” She hollers to the wilderness. “Uhh, just put them in the pot.” She smiles.

You follow the way of the wind, slamming the entire box of noodles, including the carton, into the empty pot, and smashing it down with the spoon. “THIS IS SO INVIGORATING!!” You shout at her.

“YEAH!!! I’M INTO IT!!!” She throws her head back in excitement. “Alright! Now it’s time to stir the pasta! As a general rule of thumb, the more you stir… THE BETTER IT IS!”

You stare into the waterless pot. “What about the water?”

“Water?” She questions.

“Yeah, to boil the noodles…”

“...FORGET THE WATER! Ready? Let’s do it!”

You shrug and swiftly stir. Maybe they cook pasta the same as rice and toast it up. Maybe the cardboard is edible. Tasty, even. Who are you to say how to cook monster food?

“Stir harder!” She commands.

You stir with an earnest focus.

“HARDER!”

You stir as quickly as your arms will allow. The noodles are breaking into little pieces and spilling out of the ripped box.

“HARDER!!!”

You zigzag along the inside of the pot, clanking the spoon loudly on the edges. Tiny crumbs of dry pasta fly out of the pot.

“UGH, leg me do it!” She says irritably.

You hop back as she summons a spear in the air, smashing, denting, and poking holes in the bottom of the pot.

So much for the water… You stare.

“FUHUHUHU! That’s the stuff!” She looks back at you. “Alright, now for the final step: TURN UP THE HEAT! Let the stovetop symbolize your passion! Let your hopes and dreams turn into burning fire! READY? Don’t hold anything back!!!”

You turn the heat element on. And look at Undyne.

“Hotter!”

You turn it half-way up.

“HOTTER DARNIT!!!”

You turn it all the way up.

“HOTTER!!!!!!!”

You turn the element past its limits. Flames are licking the ceiling. You don’t stop turning.

“Wait, that’s too –”

The entire oven bursts and Undyne throws an arm out and pulls you away from the blast. White overtakes your vision. When you can finally see again, she’s covered in a black soot, and several places in the room are on fire.

Undyne sighs heavily. “Ah. Man, no wonder Papyrus sucks at cooking.”

You both turn, staring at the carnage that was once a pot of dry noodles, and look back at each other.

“So what’s next?” She asks. “Scrapbooking? Friendship bracelets?  
…  
… oh, who am I kidding. I really screwed this up, didn’t I?”

“Well, the house is on fire, and the noodles look pretty incinerated… so I’d say so, yeah.” You look at her thoughtfully.

“I can’t force you to like me, human. Some people just don’t get along with each other. I understand if you feel that way about me.”

You raise your brow at her. _What is she talking about?_

“And if we can’t be friends…  
That’s okay. Because…  
If we’re not friends…  
IT MEANS I CAN DESTROY YOU WITHOUT REGRET!”

“WHAT!? I was just starting to-”

Undyne whips out a spear. “I’ve been defeated…  
MY house is in shambles…  
I even failed to befriend you.” She hangs her head in shame.

“But you di-”

“That’s it. I don’t care if you’re my guest anymore. One final rematch! All out on both sides!!! IT’S THE ONLY WAY TO REGAIN MY LOST PRIDE!!! NOW COME ON! HIT ME WITH ALL YOU’VE GOT! NGAHHHH!!!”

You scrunch you nose and glare at her. “Fine, since you won’t listen!!!” You throw your fist as hard as you can, but your heart isn’t in it.

It doesn’t do anything.

“What. That’s the best you can manage?” She chokes. “Even attacking at full force…  
You just can’t muster any intent to hurt me, huh?” She lowers her gaze to the floor solemnly.

“I was trying to say so, if you would’ve just listened.” You grump, crossing your arms.

“HEH, you know what? I don’t actually want to hurt you either. At first, I hated your stupid saccharine schtick, but… the way you hit me right now, it… Reminded me of someone I used to train with. Now I know you aren’t just some wimpy loser. You’re a wimpy loser with a big heart! Just like him…”

You grouch-face morphs into a small smile. _Maybe I was being… just a little hard on her before. But I’m not wimpy._ Your faltered grump returns.

“Listen, human. It seems that you and ASGORE are fated to fight. But knowing him… He probably doesn’t want to. Talk to him. I’m sure you can persuade him to let you go home. Eventually, some mean human will fall down here…  
And I’ll take THEIR soul instead. That makes sense, right? Fuhuhu.”

“Yeah, I suppose.” _I could throw my parents down here._ You giggle to yourself. _One extra soul, just in case._

“Oh, and if you DO hurt ASGORE…  
I’ll take the human souls…  
Cross the barrier…  
And beat the hell out of you!” She glares. “That's what friends are for, right? Fuhuhu! Now let's get the hell out of this flaming house!”

 

* * *

 

“Well, that was fun, huh?”

“Way more fun than you'll ever get me to admit.” You snicker.

“We’ll have to hang out again another time…! But, uh, somewhere else I guess. In the mean time, I guess I’ll go hang out with Papyrus. So if you need me, drop by Snowdin, OK!?”

“Kay.”

“OH! And if you ever need help…  
Just give Papyrus a ring, ok? Since we’re in the same spot, I’ll be able to talk too!”

“Your phone is in the house, huh?” You deadpan, hand on your hip.

Her eye twitches as she gives a one-sided smile. “Well, see you later, punk!!” She runs off with her fists in the air.

You decide to give Papyrus a ring and let him know Undyne is coming.

“HELLO, THIS IS PAPYRUS!”

“Hey Papyrus, so I'm finished at Undyne’s.”

“THAT’S WONDERFUL, HUMAN! HOW DID IT… UHH?” He stops mid-sentence.

“What’s wrong?” You ask, hearing someone huffing and puffing in the background. “Papyrus? Are you okay?”

Undyne’s voice appears on the other end of the line. “Are you STILL sitting around at MY HOUSE, wimp?!?”

“Undyne, how did you get there so fast?” You quiz.

“I ran.” She shouts into the speaker of Papyrus’ phone.

“WOWIE!!! UNDYNE!!! SOMEDAY I WANT TO BE AS STRONG AND SWEATY AS YOU.”

You hear a small wrestling through the speaker of the phone. “Gimme that for a minute Papyrus!” You hear Undyne demand on the other end.

“SO YOU RAN HERE JUST TO BE ON THE PHONE???” a decently audible Papyrus says.

“Yep!” Undyne replies.

“THEN YOU MUST HAVE SOMETHING… EXTREMELY COOL TO SAY ABOUT YOUR HOUSE!!!”

“Nope!!!” She retorts.

You hear the line click and wonder if she meant to hang up on you. You suppose, since Papyrus knows Undyne is there, you’ll go on ahead.

Further up, you make a right into a room you’ve never been in. A cloaked figure in a boat introduces themselves.

“Tra la la. I am the riverman. Or am I the riverwoman…? It doesn’t really matter. I love to ride in my boat. Would you care to join me?”

“Um, okay.” You gently step on, trying not to tip it over.

“Where will we go today?” They ask mysteriously.

“Wait, are you telling me I could have been riding this boat instead of walking the whole time?” You say, exasperated.

“Now that you’re ready, you can ride. Tra la la.”

You sigh. This could have saved a lot of time. At least you can use it now. “Hotland, please.” You give a slightly tired smile to the riverperson.

 

* * *

 

There’s a laboratory to your right, and two royal guardsmen directly in front of you when you enter Hotland. You tried asking Undyne to get them to move, but all you got was a strange answer about humans having mind control powers. You take a breath and walk up to them to pass.

 “Um, excuse me… I just need to scoot by… if that’s okay… please…” You give your cutest wide-eyed look.

“Sorry… Undyne, like, told us there was totally a human in the area. So, like, us royal guards are blocking off the elevators for now.  
Ngah! Even if the elevators aren’t working anyway, we’ll do our best Ms. UNDYNE”

 _This isn’t good… how do I get through…_ “Pretty please? Maybe I can fix them.” You attempt.

“Like, NO WAY you’re getting by us. But, between you and me… I think you can go through that creepy lab over there.” He points to your right. “Between you, me, and my bro here, I mean. I tell him ALL my secrets.”

You smirk at his obvious fondness. “It’s good to have someone you can rely on.” You nod. “Thanks so much for the info!” You trot off, into said creepy lab. The doors open right up for you, as if you were expected.

It’s dark in here. It’s not so much that you’re afraid of the dark, but the fact that the only thing you can see is yourself on a giant screen, well, it’s really freaking you out.

“Holy crap. Is the entire underground watching me?” You stare at the screen, waving to your adoring fans. _Oh goody… I’m a star!_ You twirl and traipse down the dark hall _._ It’s very graceful.

You then smack your shin on something, though you can't see what it is.

You half whisper-yell rubing at the tender spot. “ _Gahhhhhhffffffff_!!!”

Smooth move.

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading ♡ It means a lot.


	9. Is it too Late to Change My Mind?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good morning everybody! What? It's 5 in the afternoon? Well, it's morning somewhere!

You aren’t able to get far at all before the distinct wooshing of an automatic door sounds. A shadowy figure emerges, pausing momentarily as you are blinded by the brightness of sudden fluorescent lighting.

You rub the stars and black spots from your eyes, catching momentary glimpses of a short, yellow reptile, similar to an upright triceratops in appearance.

She turns to you, halting her footing when she notices you.  
“Oh.  
My god.” The dinosaur, donning glasses and a lab coat blurts in shock before racing in place, frantically looking in random directions. “I didn’t expect you so soon! I haven’t showered, I’m barely dressed, it’s all messy, and...”

She slows her running to a stop and turns toward you, a smile cracking through the worried look. “Ummm… H-h-hiya! I'm doctor Alphys, ASGORE’s royal scientist!”

You move to speak, but Alphys is quick with her words, despite the stuttering.

“B-b-but, ahhhh, I'm not one of the ‘bad guys’! Actually, since you stepped out of the RUINS, I’ve, um…  
... been ‘observing’ your journey through my console.  
Your fights…  
Your friendships…  
Everything!”

 _But… I was just joking earlier. How many people are watching me!?_ A small shiver runs up your spine. So far, Flowey and Alphys have been full on stalking you, Undyne watched you for some time, and you have an inkling about Sans. His placement is too convenient. Soon you’ll find out you really have been broadcasted over the entire Underground the whole time.

“I was originally going to stop you, but…  
Watching someone on a screen really makes you root for them.” She snorts. “S-so, ahhh, now I want to help you! Using my knowledge, I can easily guide you through Hotland! I know a way to ASGORE’s castle, no problem!” She chimes.

“That’s greatwaitwhatsthatlook…” Your happiness instantly droops at the puffy-cheeked face she provides, an inevitable sign of new obstacles to come.

“Well, actually, umm, there’s just a tiny issue.” She blushes.

 _Please, please reveal this information to me. I need more issues in my life. I love issues. They are my best friends, and I cannot live without them._ You don’t say this out loud, of course. Instead, you nod for her to go on, plastering a very unconvincing grin on your face.

She’s a little too excited about the ‘issue’. “A long time ago, I built a robot named Mettaton. Originally, I built him to be an entertainment robot. Uh, you know, like a robotic TV star or something. Anyway, recently I decided to make him more useful. You know, just some small practical adjustments. Like, ummm…  
Anti… anti-human combat features?”

 _Flowers and rainbows and little white puppies._ You recite the mantra in your head. _If I don’t think about the bloodthirsty robot, he doesn’t exist._ Your once fake smile is reaching into the depths of uncanny valley at this point.

Alphys sweats nervously at your reaction. “Of c-course, when I saw you coming, I immediately decided…” She throws the surprise she felt in that moment on her face “I have to remove those features! Unfortunately I may have made a teensy mistake while doing so. And, um…  
Now he’s an unstoppable killing machine with a thirst for human blood? Ehehehehe… Heh. But, ummm, hopefully we won’t run into him!”

Your eye twitches noticeably. “Hopefully?”

Of course, on queue as everything, a loud metallic bang erupts from the wall to your left. It is so intense that both you and the royal scientist are momentarily lifted from your feet. Alphys looks unfazed. You examine the wall as another bang erupts.

“Did you hear something?” She inquires.

“Did you seriously not?” You raise.

Another five bangs come in succession, each louder than the last. You take several steps away from the offending vibrations.

“Oh no.” Alphys sounds in alarm.

Pitch black consumes the room as a crash ejects from the expected wall.

“OH YES!” A robotic voice answers. “WELCOME BEAUTIES…” a drumroll sounds before a spotlight settles on a cubic figure, looking much like an old computer with arms, and a singular wheel on the bottom for movement.  
… TO TODAY’S QUIZ SHOW!!!”

 

 

At least Alphys gives you all of the answers to the quiz questions using hand signals, keeping you safely away from the ‘deadly’ portion of the game show. Except for the final question, which you managed to answer correctly. Poor Alphys blushed furiously when you picked Undyne as her crush. You knew Undyne kept talking about her for a reason.

 

* * *

 

You stare down at the slender black brick in your fingers with amazement etched on your face.

The phone looks completely different in every way. In fact, you would have a difficult time believing that this isn’t simply another phone all together if you hadn’t heard Dr. Alphys quickly working away upstarts to create this piece of art.

You turn it over in your hand as she goes on about the different upgrades.

“It can do texting, items, it’s got a keychain…  
I even signed you up for the underground’s No. 1 social network! Now we’re officially friends! Ehehehehe!  
Heheh…  
Heh..  
…  
…  
…  
…  
…  
I’m going to the bathroom.”

She rushes off before you have a chance to speak to her. In fact, you’ve hardly had the opportunity to get a word in edgewise.

Yellow feet are tapping just behind the door of the bathroom. They stop at your obvious approach. “Thank you, Alphys.” You vocally smile. “This is amazing!”

The feet hesitate for a moment before patterning away.

You open the screen, where an app called “Dimensional Box” catches your eye first. You tap it, and it walks you through several steps that, by their nature, make no sense to you.

“Using your camera, take a photo of the item you wish to store. The item will then be transferred into your storage unit. The picture will be utilized as an icon for the item.” You had hoped that reading this aloud would help it make more sense, but no luck. _How the heck? It’s a phone… it’s so tiny… just… how?_

There’s only one real way to find out. You remove a random stick from your sack. You briefly ponder where you even obtained it before deciding that you don’t really care if it's destroyed.

You set the stick on the ground and touch the ‘Add Item’ button.

‘Are you sure you wish to deposit [Stick]?’

You tap yes. The camera flashes on your phone, taking a picture of the object and simultaneously decomposing it. As promised, a small icon of the stick appears in the upper left corner of the screen.

You blink in astonishment. “How…?”

You click the icon.

‘Do you wish to eject [Stick]?’

‘yes’

The stick appears on the ground, completely in tact. In no time, all of your items are in the dimensional box. “This is AMAZING!!!” You shout to yourself. Snowy is the only one left in your bag. You feel like it would be cheating if you didn’t actually carry him with you. You toss the phone in your pack with him.

You trot to Waterfall to retrieve your clothes, pausing at the hole Mettaton burst through in the wall. It’s only a few feet deep. “That’s… weird…” You ponder before leaving the lab and utilizing the awesome riverperson.

Your advice from them is to eat a mushroom every day. This is to ensure the riverperson that you are listening to them, apparently. You will not be eating any mushrooms from the underground, however. They’re too glowey. You are also told of the dangers and fitness benefits of dancing on boats.

They really are great company.

As soon as you exit the opposite side of the lab, you receive a notification from Undernet. You notice your name is set to “Human”. Alphys must not have microphones with the cameras. You find it a bit silly after the amazing convenience of the dimensional box.

The notification reads:  
ALPHYS updated status.  
just realized i didn’t watch Undyne fight the human v.v

And one immediately after reading:  
well i know she’s unbeatable  
i’ll ask her about it later ^.^  
for now i gotta call up the human and guide them =^.^=

Besides the heat, and consistent ping of notifications from Alphys, you have a lot of time to think. She’s in a frenzy, having difficulty calling you with an obvious fear of using the phone. You’ve already tried to call her, but it seems that in her flurry of ‘updates’ she forgot to give you her number.

Unavoidable thoughts snake their way into your brain. Until now, you’ve avoided thinking about anything other than leaving, to the best of your ability. The tiny words of worry from the doctor are not enough to keep your brain from functioning on overdrive. You think of Tallulah, and if she’s doing alright alone. You told her you would be home by now, to get her. You think of Papyrus and yesterday’s exciting puzzle antics. Sans and his constant pranks and joking.

You think of the echo flowers, and the wishes they whispered. Wishes for freedom. To see the stars and sky. The same wishes you had for so many years, before you fell here.

But what can you do? You can’t leave your sister. She’s nearly five, and destined for the same sickening path as you, if you can’t escape with her soon. You can’t allow that to happen, no matter how much your heart hurts in understanding for those who surround you.

As much as you hate to admit it, you find your murders justified by their reasoning. If you weren’t so afraid, you would have done the same for yourself.

It’s strange how fun this has all been, between the layers of fresh blood on your lips, and searing pains in your soul. There’s just something so refreshing about all of this newfound _freedom_ and friendship.

You know it’s twisted, that friends shouldn’t hurt and murder each other. You’ve seen it on late nights with stolen tablets. Real friends go to coffee and movies, but that will never be your life. You’ll take repeated death. It’s so much better than the other kind of hurt.

You are startled by your phone ringing in the darkness. You had hardly registered the past phone calls and texts, you were so deep in your mind.

Alphys stutters on the other end as you patiently wait for her to finish her sentence and brighten the room for you. This entire time, she’s been guiding you through, and assisting you with various puzzles, lasers and traps. You vaguely wonder why she didn’t simply look ahead and turn the lights on before you got there. You can’t complain too much, though. She is helping you a lot.

A full kitchen comes into view. An “Oh no” emitted by Alphys queues Mettaton’s second arrival. The room is the setup of a large kitchen, meant for television, complete with cameras, show lights and a small crew.

“OH YES!!! WELCOME, BEAUTIES, TO THE UNDERGROUND’S PREMIER COOKING SHOW!!!” His voice is monotone, but somehow still fully emoted. The queue screen near the cameras show a glittering title ‘Cooking With A Killer Robot’.

“PRE-HEAT YOUR OVENS, BECAUSE WE’VE GOT A VERY SPECIAL RECIPE FOR YOU TODAY! WE’RE GOING TO BE MAKING… A CAKE!”

You brighten a bit at that. It’s a fitting day for a cake. There has to be a catch, though, as the robot is “killer”.

 

* * *

 

As expected, it wasn’t in the stars. You drift to the ground with your “conveniently placed jetpack.” This, with the fact that it had “just enough fuel”, to reach the top of the hundred-foot-high counter, for you to Obtain the human-soul-substitute made you realize that this is all a game. The cameras give away that it’s a show (and you are indeed being broadcasted!), sure, but Alphys and Mettaton are obviously working together to create it.

You’re strangely okay with it. At least you aren’t in any real danger. Alphys should be there to get you out of trouble when it happens. You just hope it doesn’t delay you too much. For now, you’ll enjoy the cheesy acting and spotlight. Maybe you’ll  try to act a little more enthusiastic, as well.

“Wow! We… did it!!!” Alphys is in glee on the other end of the phone. You smile at her happiness. “We… we really did it!!! Great job out there, team!”

You know she’s watching, so you appropriately nod before parting cellular ways.

An ominous structure looms in the distance past the stage…  
You’re filled with determination.

Alphys tells you that’s where you’re going. It is the source of all power for the underground. Through the core is a way to the kings castle.

“I’m nearly there…” You hasten your pace.

 

* * *

 

“hey buddy, what’s up?” Sans greets you from behind his snowy-roofed sentry station. A few monsters are scattered around, eating. “wanna buy a hot dog? It’s only 30G.” He asks.

Once again, the grumble in your stomach answers for you. At least you know why he keeps all those condiments with him.

By the end of this exchange, there is somehow one half-eaten hotdog in your mouth, a hot CAT in your hand, and twenty nine hotdogs stacked on your head.

“i’ll be ‘frank’ with you. as much as i like putting hotdogs on your head… thirty is just an excessive number. twenty-nine, now that’s fine, but thirty… does it look like my arms can reach that high?” Sans jokes.

You gently shift your eyes upward in an attempt to view the food on your head without knocking it over. You can’t see it, but the fact that he hasn’t had to move to put them on your head is enough proof that his arms aren't a necessary part of hot-dog-to-head placement. You carefully reach up with your empty hand and remove the half-eaten hotdog from your mouth, chewing the food down slowly before speaking to him with a still-full mouth. “Bun I WAN ano-er one!” You pout.

“sorry, thirty is the limit on head-dogs.” He stands firm, even with the smile on his face.

You take a gentle step back and the dogs come raining down. You giggle and finish munching on your food, feeling satisfied and re-energized.

“feelin’ better, pal?” Sans asks.

“My stomach is.” You avoid looking at him, opting to play with the little ears on your hotcat, instead.

He shrugs and sighs. “don’t say i didn’t try.”

You’re full-on petting the hotcat, now. “I haven’t.” You stop the petting and look at him. “Can I ask you something? Besides that, I mean!” You catch yourself before he can make the second dad-est of all jokes.

“dang. yeah, what’s up?”

“Have you ever died?”

He looks taken aback at the question before returning to his usual facial stance. “i’ve been dead tired before.” _Wink._

You give him the satisfaction of a small chuckle. “You look dead tired right now.” You smirk, setting the apostrophe cat on his counter before leaving him behind.

The voice of the royal guardsmen from before the lab catches you as you walk away. “Hey! You! Stop!” You turn around as they jog up to you. “We’ve, like, received an anonymous tip about a human wearing a pink tutu. They told us they were wandering around Hotland right now…”

Your eyes widen. “O-oh no! That sounds horrible!” You pretend your fear is due to the frightening human, and not the approach of another potential attack.

“I know, sounds scary, huh?” He says sympathetically. “Well, just stay chill. We’ll bring you someplace safe, OK?”

You nod warily at the two of them, and follow as they make their way back to the hotdog stand. The normally silent one mumbles something inaudible, causing them both to stop in their tracks.

“… Huh? What is it, bro? The tutu they’re wearing?  
… like, what about it?”

You shut your eyes and fold your hands over your face as they scan you. _Why?_

“Bro…  
Are you thinkin…  
What I’m thinkin?” The silent one nods while the loud one looks down in humiliation. “Bummer. This is, like…  
Mega embarrassing. We, like, actually totally have to kill you and stuff.”

You nod, cursing internally at your crap luck. “I’m just gonna… put this over there.” You point before setting the bag with Snowy and your phone to the side.

Your soul shows itself. It looks a little duller than you last recall. You leap back to avoid the reach of their swords before they take a swing at you. “Can we talk about this first?” You beg.

“Like, no can do, human. We have our orders.”

You keep a steady pace of flips and cartwheels, distancing yourself as they attempt to slice at you. It’s too bad Alphys is taking another bath. You lament at her earlier message about not helping with puzzles after a small mix-up, and her call telling you she went to the bathroom. “I thought we were buddies! You showed me to the lab and everything!”

“That’s was before we, like, knew you were human!” He thrusts his blade at your side, and you spin away.

“What’s this really about? What are you really fighting for?” You reason, trying to find an in that will convince them to stand down. The silent one nicks your wrist, a trickle of blood rolls down your arm, which you blatantly ignore.

“Dude, I told you. Undyne ordered us to like, capture you!”

“WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT!!!” You thrust your arms out to them in a repeated ‘stop’ motion when you feel you’re a safe distance away. They slow to a halt, weapons still raised. You look at the first guard, slightly out of breath. “I saw how you were looking at your bro earlier. Just be honest with yourself! He’ll understand!” Your arms are still raised, and you’re perched to run. If there’s one thing you’ve learned about talking down monsters, it’s to say the first crazy thing with a glimmer of working that you can think of.

Guard 01 lowers his sword, looking over to Guard 02. “D-dude… I can’t take this anymore... Not like this!” The second guard lowers his stance to look at his partner.  
“Like, 02, I like… I like, LIKE you, bro!  
The way you fight…  
The way you talk...  
I love doing team attacks with you. I love standing here with you, bouncing and waving our weapons in sync. 02, I like, want to stay like this forever.”

 _I can’t believe this is working…_ You straighten as 02 silently contemplates the words of 01. Your soul returns to its rightful place as they’re distracted. You scoot quietly past them and grab your things before crawling by, and sprinting away when the opportunity takes hold. You look back for a brief moment to see them holding hands before you’re plunged into darkness once again.

 

* * *

 

 _They put a bomb on the dog._ You shake your head. _It’s just… so WRONG._ No wonder the pup is so annoying! You’re happy to be helping Alphys gain confidence with these games, but why does everyone hate this puppy so much? There were several bombs you were made to deactivate before a certain time frame, or else a large bomb would explode. That didn’t happen, though, as Alphys “deactivated” it, anyway. _A puppy, though?_

Alphys interrupts your thoughts with another call.

“Hey Alph. What’s up?” You ask.

“Um… I noticed you’ve been kind of quiet…  
Are you worried about meeting ASGORE…?

“Yeah. Among other things. I’m not looking forward to it, is all.”

“W-well, don’t worry, okay? Th-the king is a really nice guy… I’m sure you can talk to him, and…  
W-with your human soul, you can pass through the barrier! S-so no worrying, OK? J-just forget about it and smile.”

“Okay.” You speak quietly into the receiver. “I’ll smile for you, then. Thanks for the pep talk.”

“N-no problem!”

Click.

 

* * *

 

There’s an odd looking grey monster outside the elevator doors. They have an absent look on their face, as if they’ve been dead a long time. They aren’t dead, clearly. The epitaphs read that monsters turn to dust when they die. This person is standing here.

You approach them. “Are you okay?” You lace your voice with concern.

They don’t look at you, they only speak, almost as if you aren’t really there. “It makes sense why ASGORE took so long to hire a new Royal Scientist. After all, the old one…  
Dr. Gaster.  
What an act to follow! They say he created the CORE.  
However, his life…  
Was cut short.  
One day, he fell into his creation, and…  
Will Alphys end up the same way?”

“W-what happened, though?” You ask the monster, hair standing on edge.

“Will Alphys end up the same way?” It repeats.

You brisk walk past them, unable to handle the definite feeling that you aren’t supposed to be there, and that you certainly weren’t meant to see that monster.

An adorable purple spider woman with many arms and pigtails greets you at her bake sale counter, offering some spider pastries. She introduces herself as Muffet. It somehow rips the thought of the creepy grey monster from your mind. You look in the web, as she offered, and are met with an insane cost.

“9999G? Whoa, no thanks!!! I… I have one already.” You wave at the spider in the web, feeling very sorry for the shocked and frightened looking monster who is mumbling to themselves about loosing all their money.

Before entering the next puzzle room, Alphys rings, speaking rather confidently on the other end. “This um, doesn’t have anything to do with guiding you… but…  
…  
Uhh, hey, would you want to watch a human TV show together??? Sometime??? It’s called, um, M… Mew Mew Kissy Cutie…”

“Of course!” You grin. You know you can’t. You’ll be gone before you get a chance, but it doesn’t change that you would _like_ to.

“R-really!? It’s so good! It’s um, my favorite show!  
It’sallaboutthishumangirlnamedMewMewwhohascatears!Whichhumansdonthave!S-soshe’sallsensitiveaboutthem!But,like…Eventually!Sherealizesthatherearsdon’tmatter!Thatherfriendslikeherdespitetheears!It’sreallymoving!Whoops,spoilersAlsothissoundswierdbutshehasthepower!Tocontrolthemindsofanyoneshekisses!Shekissespeopleandcontrolsthemtofixherproblems!!Theydon’trememberanythingafterthekissesImean!!BUTIFSHEMISSESTHEKISS!!THEN!!Then,uh,and,uh,alsoImean,ofcourseEventuallysherealizesthatcontrollingpeopleOKAYWELLIalmostspoiledthewholeshow,but Uhhh, I think you’d really like it!!! We should watch it! After you get through all this!

She hangs up. You assume her nerves got the better of her.

 

* * *

 

The smell of cobwebs fills the air. You’re filled with determination.

You walk around the webs, listening to the tiny spider voices tease you. You do your best to ignore them.  
“Ahuhuhuhu...”  
“Did you hear what they just said?”  
“They said a human wearing a pink tutu will come through.”  
“I heard that they hate spiders.”  
“I heard that they love to stomp on them.”

The now unavoidable webbing is sticky and thick under your feet, making it increasingly difficult to move.

“I heard that they like to tear their legs off.”

A much more pronounced voice makes itself known. “I heard...” The cute spider girl from earlier comes to light with all the other teasing spiders. “… that they’re awfully stingy with their money. Ahuhuhuhu…”

“What are you talking about?” You struggle against the captivating trappings. Heartbeat quickening. Breath shallowing. You want to run, but you’re trapped.

“You think your taste is too refined for our pastries, don’t you deary? Ahuhuhu… I disagree with that notion. I think your taste…  
Is exactly what this batch needs!”

Your SOUL pulls out of you as you struggle harder against your bindings.

“LET ME _GO_!” You scream, yanking at the webs, barely managing to plop forward before a spider scurries past. Your bag is stuck in the mangled mess, phone somehow tossed across the ground.

“Let you go? Don’t be silly!” She claps. “Oh, how rude of me!” a malicious smile creeps onto her face as she watches you fight to stand. “I almost forgot to introduce you to my pet~ Its breakfast time, isn’t it? Have fun, you two~”

A gigantic spider, who looks very much like a cupcake, bounds toward you, shaking the earth with its thick, hairy legs. It’s gaping maw opens horrifically wide, threatening you with its sharp myriad of teeth, unbefitting of a spider and all the more frightening.

It tromps toward you, stepping on your phone. The container with your pie and mostly forgotten donut pops into existence beneath it.

The spider nudges the lid off, sniffing at the contents.

“Hey! Don’t touch that! It’s mine!” You shout, now frantically scrambling to the spider to protect your precious pie and happy memories.

It gently lifts the donut out with a single tooth, walking to Muffet and placing it before her. “Huh? Where did you get that…? Did you steal it?”

“No! I bought it when I fell down here.” You finish your slow race, examining the butterscotch pie, noting with relief that it is untouched. The smell is wafting through the room, working up your appetite. You close the lid tightly and glare at the baker and her ‘pet’.

“Oh, my pet~” She purrs, stroking the confection with affection. “It’s time to show them what we do with thieves~” She laughs wickedly, the cupcake taking a heavy step toward you before a tiny spider pulls their attention. “Huh? A telegram from the spiders in the RUINS? What? They’re saying they saw you and…  
.. you helped donate to their cause!”

Smaller spiders hurry over to you, removing webbing from your body and items. You watch them with relief as they work away the bindings.

“Oh my, this has all been a big misunderstanding~ I thought you were someone who hated spiders~  
The person who asked for that soul…  
They must have meant a DIFFERENT human in a striped shirt~ Sorry for all the trouble~ Ahuhuhu~  
I’ll make it up to you~ you can come back here any time…  
And, for no charge at all…  
I’ll wrap you up and let you play with my pet again!”

You give her a horrified expression as she places a slender hand over her mouth and giggles.

“Ahuhuhuhuhuhu~ Just kidding~ You may leave~ See you again, dearie!” She waves as you book it out of there.

 

* * *

 

You don’t move. You refuse to go onto the puzzle and get bitten by piranhas. Alphys will swoop in any moment and stop you from getting incinerated, right?  
… Right…?

“Uh, these Flames are getting close Alph!!!” You panic as Mettaton chants similar phrases of ‘getting closer!’.

They stop right before they touch you. You can feel the heat lightly charring your flesh as it sits. Mettaton let’s out a robotic cough right before his phone rings.

“Watch out!! I’ll save you!! I’m hacking into the firewall right now!” Alphys blurts. The flames finally disperse. You rub at the sensitive skin on your arms, scratching dried blood from your wrist as Alphys and Mettaton converse.

“OH NO!!! HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN??? FOILED AGAIN BY THE BRILLIANT DOCTOR ALPHYS!!” Mettaton feigns.

There’s a long, awkward pause. Your robotic captor moves in to speak, but Alphys finally says her line. “That’s right! Come on, Mettaton, give up already! You’ll never be able to defeat us! Not as long as we work together! Your puzzle’s over..  
Now go home and leave us alone!” She bravely recites.

“PUZZLE? OVER? ALPHYS DARLING, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT…? DID YOU FORGET WHAT THE GREEN TILES DO? THEY MAKE A SOUND, THEN YOU HAVE TO FIGHT A MONSTER. WELL, DARLING…!  
WELL, WELL, WELL.  
WELLY WELL WELL  
WELL WELLY WELL WELL,  
WELL WELL WELLY.  
YOU NEVER STEPPED ON A GREEN TILE.  
…  
AND NOW YOU’RE GOING TO DIE.”

“CHEATER!!!” You yell at the top of your lungs as he moves in to fight you.

“THIS IS IT DARLING! SAY GOODBYE!” He waves before your phone rings. “IS THAT YOUR PHONE? YOU’D BETTER ANSWER IT!”

You roll your eyes and answer. Alphys shouts in your ear, though not nearly as loudly as Papyrus. You can deal with it. “H-hey!! Th-this seems bad, but don’t worry!! Th-there is one last thing I installed on your phone…!”

“What is it!?” You flail dramatically.

“You see that yellow button…? Go to your phones [[ACT]] menu and press it!!!” She gusts.

Your soul inverts and becomes yellow as you follow her instructions.

“NOW PRESS [Z]!!!”

Mettaton. Shakes with the impact of the bullets ejecting from your soul as you furiously attack the button, but you are unsure if it is simply an act.

“OOOH! OOOH OOOH! YOU’VE DEFEATED ME!! HOW CAN THIS BE, YOU WERE STRONGER THAN I THOUGHT, ETC..”

_Yup, it’s an act._

“WHATEVER.” He rolls off.

“Looks like you beat him. You did a really great job out there!” Alphys cheers.

“Only because I had your help.” You voice modestly.

“What? Oh no, I mean…  
You were the one doing everything cool! I just wrote some silly programs for your phone.”

“Ha! Silly? You underestimate yourself. They’re definitely not silly.” You respond waving your hand in a ‘no-nonsense’ manner.

“… Um, H-hey, this might sound strange, but…  
…can I tell you something?”

“Sure! You can tell me anything.” You give a comforting tone.

She hesitated before speaking. “B-before I met you, I d-didn’t really…  
I didn’t really like myself very much. For a long time I f-felt like a total screw-up. L-like I couldn’t do anything w-without…  
W-without ending up letting everyone down.” Her voice is sorrowful and deep. “B-but…!” She perks. “Guiding you has made me feel… a lot better about myself. So thanks for letting me help you.”

Your heart beats gratefully. “O-oh… it’s no problem.” You blush. “It’s a lot easier with your help, anyway.”

There’s an understanding silence on the line which, after a few moments, Alphys breaks. “Uhhh, anyway, we’re almost to the CORE. It’s just past MTT Resort. Come on! Let’s finish this!”

You quietly sneak past the lovey guards, just in case they still intend to attack you, as they munch on nice cream at the ice cream bunny’s cart.

Sans is standing at the entrance of MTT Resort. What normally comes as a welcome face is somehow foreboding in this moment. You stroll up casually, giving him an unintentionally worried smile. Something is off. You can feel it.

“hey. i heard you’re going to the core. how about grabbing some dinner with me first?”

“Sounds great.” You take a short, apprehensive breath. Maybe you’re just overreacting.

“great, thanks for treating me.”

 _No wink… shit._ Your instincts are telling you to run. _Come on Frisk, calm down. It’s just Sans. Harmless Sans. He hasn’t even tried to fight you. You’ll be okay._

He starts toward the alleyway. “over here. i know a shortcut.”

You don’t listen to yourself. It really is too bad. You have a very reliable gut.

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a pre-warning! There will be about 500 trigger warnings on the next chapter! You have been pre-warned!


	10. well, here we are

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MAJOR TRIGGER WARNING: Mentions of sexual abuse, PTSD flashbacks, cutting, blood, and suicide attempt.
> 
>  
> 
> *Throws chapter at your face and runs away~

Sans eyes you from the side of his sockets. The increasing feeling of fluttering assaults your stomach lining as his story winds to an end. It sounds just like Sans and Toriel to joke across borders. Finding friendship no matter the barriers.

Daily meetings at the door to the ruins to share hearty laughter with a stranger.

It’s just like Toriel to beg for your safety with that stranger.

You don’t want to hear this though. You want to stop thinking. You want to bring back the cheesy acting and fake persona surrounding Alphys and Mettaton’s scripting. You don’t want these people to become any more real.

He cuts through your thoughts. “do you get what i’m saying? that promise i made to her...”

You shake your head, frozen in place. You don’t want to get it. You just want to keep pretending it’s a fantasy. A dream. To will your body to jump up and exclaim _‘Wow! Great story k bye gotta go!’_ But you stay where you are. Maybe out of misplaced kindness, maybe out of a sense of duty. Does it really mater in the end?

He looks you dead in the eye. “you know what would have happened if she hadn’t said anything?”

“I don’t...” You answer honestly. _I don’t think I want to._

“… buddy.” He looks away, but you can still see his face probing the wall in thought. His eyelights disappear, and his voice lowers into the chilling tone he’d used when you first met.  
“… **Y o u ‘ d   b e   d e a d   w h e r e   y o u   s t a n d**.”

 _This isn’t real…_ Your mind frazzles, biting back tears. You don’t want to give him the satisfaction of your pain, if that’s what he’s after. You want to leave first, so he doesn’t see your soul crack to pieces from the overbearing weight of the emotional damage it’s taken.

You knew he wasn’t safe when you first met him. You knew he would break you, one way or another.

Your mind scolds itself for being so blind.

“hey, lighten up, bucko! i’m just joking with you.” _Wink._ “besides… haven’t i done a great job at protecting you? i mean, look at yourself. you haven’t died a single time.” _Wink._

Your mouth is agape, a fraction of a disbelieving smile pulling on one corner. A short scoff escapes you.

“hey, what’s that look supposed to mean? am i wrong…?” He searches your features before looking away. “heh.” He starts to leave, but your lower than usual tone causes him to cease.

“That’s really what you brought me here to tell me? ‘well i wish you were dead, kid, but i made a promise.’” It hurts to repeat. How could you be so depraved by the prospect of friendship with people you don’t even know?

“uh… well… i…” He stutters, eyelights moving around the room nervously. He clearly wasn’t expecting this reaction. It surprises you. You pegged him as the type that expects and sees it all.

“I should probably be happy about this.” You leer, tears scratching for release. “Part of me actually wanted to try to help you escape this place, but you solidified something important. There is only ONE person I care about, and she isn’t in this god forsaken mountain, so thanks for that.”

He attempts damage control at your pause in speech. “come on, don’t be like that. it was a joke...” Sans gives you a confused and slightly worried look.

“Do you think I’m fucking stupid?” You snap harshly.

“i didn’t say you were.” But his tone is unsure.

You laugh coldly. It’s to be expected. You came here, despite your better judgment, after all. “You don’t get to treat me like a child one minute, and threaten my life the next. NOTHING I have done since I’ve been down here has warranted the SHIT I have taken. If you’re going to treat me like an adult, then do it. Look me in the god damn eyes when you tell me how much you want me _dead_.” You stare piercingly into his befuddled sockets, waiting ample time for a response.

Several moments pass, but the most you receive is a break in eye contact as he looks down at the table.

You scoff, starting to leave before you hear Sans quickly shuffles over. He begins wrapping a boney hand around your arm, to which you violently jerk out if the vestige of his hold, giving him a blazing look. “Don’t. Touch. Me.” He reluctantly pulls the appendage away as you continue. “In fact,” tears leak from the corners of your eyes. Your voice is barely above a whisper. “don’t ever come near me again.”

You ignore his pained look. You don’t want to care, or feel at all. It’s too much.

Everything is swimming as you make your way to the end of the long, dark ally. You don’t know if it’s the adrenaline or the tears. You don’t really care. You just need to be alone. You blurrily check for cameras so you know you aren’t being watched. You drop into a fetal position against the corner, heaving sobs wracking your tiny frame.

Everything is hitting you all at once in a devastating collage of your life in reverse. Sans’ betrayal, your gruesome, blood-soaked murders. Every single time you’ve ever been beaten. Every violation.

The teensy hands and doe-like eyes, looking to you with love and adoration through it all. Giving you light and purpose. Making it all worth while.

And then before her existence. Living just to be alive. On the brink of giving up.

Reality caves to memories.

There’s no reason for a suicide note. Broken property doesn’t apologize.

One of the worst times. You still have the scar. Daddy is angry you’ve ruined your skin. But how could you stop it when you were tied up?

No one can help you. No one will help you. The police already know. Mr. Dawnson comes for play dates all the time.

Little fingers and kicking shoes on the back seat of a strange car. Barely older than a toddler. In a strange home.

“Where is mommy?” A tiny voice echoes. You want to warn them, but maybe it would make it worse.

“This is your mommy, now.” The voice that says it is deep and demonic. A shrill, screeching giggle from behind.

A strange hand on your leg. The way it’s moving feels wrong. “I don’t like this game… I wanna go home…”

They dig into you. The hands feel sharp wherever they touch.

“STOP! IT HURTS!” Screams of pain pounding uselessly against your lips. The agony only grows, becoming unbearable.

“Such perfect skin. So flawless.” Warped voices and shadowy faces. You only want to rip it off. Bit by bit until you no longer exist.

So you do. And it’s so exhilarating to watch yourself drain of life and feeling. Something has to give. You or the pain, and it sure as hell won’t be you.

A boney hand touches your shoulder comfortingly, but it feels like the palm is missing. When you look up, no one is there.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Sans is left gawking at the archway you left through. He isn’t sure what warranted a reaction such as that, though it’s all been said and done. He feels more guilty than anything. He didn’t expect you to take it as hard as you did. He was just being honest, after all. It isn’t as if everyone else hadn’t done the same already. Sans has always been a bit excessive in the asshole department, though.

You told him not to come near you. His thoughts have ventured to phasing home, however it seems an apology is in order. You’re the forgiving type, he knows this much. If you forgave Undyne after the now confirmed deaths, he’s sure you can forgive him, with a little convincing. He surely can’t follow through with the request when he has a judgment to fulfill.

Maybe the next moment is happenstance. A final motivation to move after standing in the same location for far too long. He knows better, though. There is nothing coincidental about dejavu in the underground. He follows his instincts. A feeling of familiarity prompting him to walk back toward the alley. A sense of self, and wholeness, and sorrow. It’s all he can do not to run, and Sans never runs anywhere. Lazy, he is not, but neither will he needlessly exert himself.

With caution, he peeks around the corner. The brief shadow of an unfamiliar monster looms next to your crouching figure. He only sees it long enough to know of its existence, nothing more.

A feeling of emptiness, anger, and confusion follows. Has he just watched you dust a monster, only to spite him? Normally he would wait. Give you judgment at the end of your ventures, however, something wills his intervention. He won’t kill you yet, though he can possibly frighten you into loading your last save. Prevent you from gaining that LV so close to the end.

 

 

* * *

 

 

You feel the hard plastic slip easily from your wet fingers as the knife is ripped from your grip, clattering across the pavement. You don’t remember getting it out. Everything is stinging. **There’s blood on your hands**.

Your soul is ripped from your chest, already glowing indigo as you’re thrust against the wall behind you. You float inches from the ground, the pressure against your chest is heavy.

“did i piss ya off that bad?” A figure steps around the corner as you weakly struggle to free yourself from the invisible vice around you. “what exactly do you think you’re tryin’ at?”

Sans looks strange. Furious, with one eye empty, the other flashing between blue and yellow. His expression changes as he nears, surveying the area as if he wasn’t expecting the scene before him, but something different. Surprised by your actions for the second time in such a sort span. His previous anger morphs into horrified confusion as he takes in your shaking, bloodied form. The frightening, flashing eye makes way for his normal eyelights. “what did you do…?” He chokes in shock. His eyes are wide, grin faltered.

Your voice is emotionless. “I don’t… I don’t know. Let me go.”

“i’m not gonna do that.” He closes in slowly, as if approaching a wounded and feral animal.

“Why?” You whisper, running your fingers along your marred skin to assess the damage. Blood is still running freely. You can feel the valleys of your skin making way to dipping canyons. The cuts are deep, torn, and jagged from such a dull object. It explains the increasing lethargy and lightening headspace.

“what were you thinking?” His head shakes at you. You feel yourself slide down the wall, to the point you can touch the ground, but you are still held firmly against it. “why would you do something like this?”

“I ju… I just wanted the pain to stop.” You heave, tiredly covering your face with your dripping hands. Shame and blood is all your existence consists of.

“god dammit.” He mumbles under his breath. “frisk, shit… i’m sorry… fuck…” He peels a hand away from your face, examining your arm, but the large gashes on your tights tell him there are more wounds than that. “we gotta stop this bleeding.”

“No. Please just let me die.” Erasing this humiliation is all to sweet of an option.

“what the HELL are you talking about? i’m not just gonna let you _kill_ yourself.” He pleads, hoping to reach a piece of sanity, if there’s any left to be had. He should have seen the clues. He would have, if only he hadn’t blatantly ignored them, safe in the knowledge that this is _all just a game_ , and the anomaly wouldn’t allow Frisk act outside of a certain set of rules. He was wrong, and now he feels like the biggest ass possible. He was hurting frisk, not just an unseeable being. _I’m such a shit guardian._

“Why not?” You frown in puzzlement. “Oh! Wait! I forgot that it’s only okay to die when someone else kills you.”

 _Shit._ They have a point. A good one. “that doesn’t make it okay to do it to yourself, kid. you’re talking crazy, here.” He grips your hand tighter in a slow, methodical motion. “just let me take you home... we’ll get this patched up like it never happened. I know you got a bone to pick with me, but don’t take it out on yourself.”

Your soul, along with the pressure, slowly slides into you. **_It’s a trap._** A whisper races through your head. You frantically yank your hand from him, squishing yourself tightly into the corner, falling into a packed ball, head between your knees. “NO! I DON’T WANT TO GO! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE! PLEASE, JUST GO AWAY!”

“not gonna happen.” He scoops up the rattling ball of insanity, causing it to flail drastically, kicking into the air and screaming profanities. It’s a good thing that blood looks like ketchup. At least, that’s what he tries to tell himself. “you better quiet down, or paps is gonna hear ya.”

You still yourself, bridal style in his arms. “Don’t hurt me…” You whimper.

He sighs in exhausted exasperation. “I won’t…”

 

 

* * *

 

 

You stare blankly at the sock across the room. A sticky note covers it. You wonder about its origins. _What is its story? Does it feel alone. Dirty and discarded, like me?_

The sharp sting of antiseptic causes you to hiss, jerking in Sans grip, but he holds you steady, wiping away at the now dried and clotted blood. Things are quiet and uneasy.

Blood tracks run along the carpet, staining the once pristine stripped material. It covers the front of Sans beloved sweater, and the oversized white shirt he lent you, too. The material of your previous garb was in the way. You’d rather be anywhere than here, under the disgruntled gaze of a savior who would rather not save you, the hot pain of your sins crawling all over you.

“I'm sorry I ruined your sweater.” You murmur softly.

“’s ok bud. i got more where this came from.” The silence is too tense. The ticking of the clock behind your head pushes thoughts along Sans’ brain at a snails pace. Finally he decides to voice them. “just how old are you, anyway? to be doing somethin’ like this to yourself…”

“I don’t see what my age has to do with it, but if you really want to know… I turned seventeen today.” You keep focus on the sock as his skull whips up, eyeing you with disbelief.

“there ain’t no way you’re seventeen. you sure you aren’t… I dunno, ten? eleven?” He suggests, as if maybe he hit your head too hard against the wall.

“How would you even know about the development of a human child?” You relent, giving Sans your gaze as he tightly wraps a thick layer of bandages around your right leg, starting at the ankle.

“i’ve got my ways.” He smirks mysteriously.

“Either way, I think I would know how old I am.” You look him up and down. “I have some kind of disease, I guess. I’m supposed to be taking medication.” You sound unconvinced at your own words.

Sans simply nods, taking your word for it. “i would wish you a happy birthday, but…”

“Yeah, it’s a little late for that.” You mess with the gauze of the final arm as he finishes. “Why’d you come looking for me?”

“honestly, i’m not sure.” He shrugs, stripping off the stained coat. “i think you should stay here for the night.” He offers. “let that heal up. your brain, i mean.”

“What’d you bother doing this for, if you knew I could heal.” You look over the crisp bandages along your arms and legs. They are perfectly straight, not too tight or loose, wrapped with care and conviction you wouldn’t expect from Sans.

He shrugs again. “didn’t think you’d SAVE after I saw you like that.” He tosses his jacket on the arm of the chair, opposite of the side you’re sitting. “i’d prefer it if you stay here. make it easy on me to watch ya.”

You laugh as he flips on the television. “What, are you my babysitter, now?” You flop back into the sofa.

He tilts his head toward you, looking over you from the side of his vision. “i’m sittin’ an you’re a baby, so...”

You allow yourself to indulge in laughter. “I guess, if you want to look at it that way.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Don’t forget you promise.”

“i won’t… you know how much I hate making promises, though.”

“I know. I just hope this works…” You step through the back exit of MTT hotel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *is hiding~


	11. I Tried... So Hard...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW you guys, just WOW...
> 
> I was SO nervous to post that last chapter, y'all have no idea how much jello was in my tummy, but the response I got literally blows me away!
> 
> So I absolutely HAVE to take a moment to thank each and every person who has ever clicked, kudosed, bookmarked, subbed, and commented on my story.
> 
> My heart holds all the jello, now. Jello for you.
> 
> *Jello hugs~
> 
> Thank you!♡!♡!♡!♡!
> 
> Also, there are fight scenes, so blood and gore are happening. It isn't as gruesome as some of my other scenes, I think.

“alright, we’re all counting on you, kid. good luck.” He looks a little extra tired. A little extra sad. Maybe a bit relieved.

 _It’s okay..._ You reach through the depths of your mind to comfort him, hoping that some piece of him can sense the words, or read your thoughts. _I feel the same way…_  
“Don’t forget your promise.” You feel surprisingly calm. Only the smallest amount of that once dreaded feeling lingers in your gut.

“i won’t… you know how much I hate making promises, though.”

You shove your phone in your pocket and give Sans the bag that has single handedly carried you through the underground. You didn’t forget the snowman in your dealings. “I know... I just hope this works.” You’ll keep your promise to Tallulah, to Snowy, to Sans. Everyone can be happy this way. It’s the _only_ way everyone can be happy.

There isn’t anything left to say. Sans knowingly vanishes, leaving you behind in the sunny, pillared hall, elegantly furnished with golden-hued tiles. You make the long, slow walk down the corridor.

You miss them all, already.

 

* * *

 

He’s much bigger than you imagined. He reminds you a lot of Toriel, maybe because they’re the same type of monster, but you feel it is more because of the softness in their tones and mannerisms.

You do your best not to tread on the flowers, the same type as those you landed on just three days ago, covering the floor of the throne room as you inch along its outskirts. There are only two pieces of furniture, here. The large, royal purple throne in the rooms center, and what looks to be a similar throne, covered in a sheet in the northeast corner.

He straightens himself further as you enter the next room. “How tense…” His posture is regal, but overly stiff. His flowing purple cape and large, threatening horns do nothing to quell his demonstrably mild nature. You spend a few long moments looking at each other. “Just think of it like…  
A visit to the dentist.”

You never had to tell him your plans. Somehow, he seems to already know, almost taking care to treat you gently. You nod and ask him if you can hold his hand, because you’re scared. He looks as if the request alone has already broken him, but he eventually gives you a kind smile and obliges.

Everything is grey here, in stark contrast to the previous scenery. It’s dark, and moldy, and colorless.

A few hours before, you would have visited under different circumstances. Alphys’ falter in charade only confirmed that you made the right decision.

 _“I…_  
_I lied to you._  
_If you want to go home…_  
_You’ll have to take his soul._  
_You’ll have to kill ASGORE._  
_I’m sorry.”_

You wish you had the chance, or even the energy, to tell her you forgave her before she even ran away. That time is long past, now.

The walk to the end of the dank hall is too short. Inside the entry to the barrier is the illusion of never ending doorways. You wonder if you could continue walking endlessly, or if the barrier itself is solid.

“Are you ready?” The king, Asgore, looks as if he is trying to be comforting.

You look up at him. Speaking or moving too much seems like it will only make things more difficult. You know what you have to do. It’s the same choice you’re certain they all made, in the end.

“If you are not, I understand. I am not ready, either.” He releases your delicate fingers, passing through the archway and into the prison entrance. You stay close behind. “This is the barrier. This is what keeps us all trapped underground.”

The voices of the monsters who told you of the past ring in your mind.

_“You should be smiling, too”_

_“Aren’t you excited?”_

_“Aren’t you happy?”_

“If…  
If by chance you have any unfinished business…  
Please do what you must.” He continues facing away, almost as if he is afraid you will still be there when he turns around.

“I have nothing I need here.” You state blankly.

_“You’re going to be free.”_

“… I see…  
This is it, then.” He turns to face you. “Ready?”

You nod to him.

He closes his eyes, intaking deep, sorrowful breaths.

A strange light fills the room. Twilight is shining through the barrier. It seems your journey is finally over. You’re filled with  
DETERMINATION.

“Human… It was nice to meet you. Goodbye.”

You smile at Asgore as you bare your soul to him. “It was nice meeting you, too.” You close your wetted eyes.

A familiar, stabbing pain and the copper taste of blood consumes you. There is the sharp feeling of struggling to breath into deflated lungs, the panic of organs fighting to work around perilous wounds, the internal singe as your soul instinctually pulls away from its captor. You stand your ground as the tines of the trident are ripped from your flesh, leaving unsightly holes in the stripes of your shirt, and your body. You watch the blood leave with fascination, scooping some into the palm of your hand. With this sacrifice, you can finally accomplish what you set out to do, even if the reasons are muddled by time and death.

 

* * *

 

**_You’re going to be alright!_ **

The voice sounds like Asgore, and you find yourself standing outside the room to the barrier again. Is he the one who refuses you death by clinging to residual memories?

 _No._ You decide. _Maybe I haven’t lost enough hope._

You keep trying.

 

* * *

 

_**Our fate rests upon you…** _

You tell Asgore he’s killed you three times. He nods sadly, shoving the trident deeper than before, finishing you off more quickly.

Is this what mercy feels like?

 

* * *

 

**_You cannot give up just yet…_ **

You tell Asgore that he’s killed you five times. He nods grievously.

The word is on the edges of your lips as his trident flies toward you again. “wait…” But you were too quiet to hear. What is one more death, anyway? You aren’t sure how much more hopeless you can possibly feel.

 

* * *

 

 _**It cannot end now!** _  
_**Chara! Stay determined...** _

You have to face it. It isn’t going to work. You can’t remember how many times you’ve died. You’ve even killed yourself a few times, to the king’s horror. Your soul simply shatters and begins anew in some form of sickeningly twisted irony. You only get the newest message of encouragement to keep fighting, but you don’t want to fight anymore. You’ve long since given up, so why won’t fate just let you be? Let you rest? Finally be done?

All you want is for the endless suffering to finish at last.

Asgore won’t listen. He just keeps killing you. Nothing you say or do changes it. You’ve tried dodging his attacks for many hours at a time, always falling to the expenditure of your overly acrobatic movements. No amount of convincing will help you.

Nobody is answering the phone, either. It looks as if you’re on your own.

Your growling stomach finally manages to catch your attention as you steep in thought. You hadn't noticed how hungry you were, through all the nerves and pure exhaustion. You flip through your phone. The pie. The one you thought you would be sharing with your sister by now, but that will never happen. You'll probably never see her again. You can't even die correctly. That isn't going to stop you from trying to get back to her, though.

You eat slowly, and with your hands, savoring the flavor. The comforting smell lingers on you like sweet perfume as you lick your fingers clean, wiping sticky residue on your shorts.

You’ll have to kill him, and yet you don’t think you have the heart. Nothing says you can’t try, at least. You remove the dagger you found (it seems so long ago, but it was only a few minutes in this world) from your dimensional box, and clutch it for dear life. The locket you discovered, in the very same place, already hangs around your neck.

You walk into the barrier room. Asgore turns to you, as he always does. “Ready?” He’s more upset than usual. He almost seems to be seeking an elusive scent as he takes his calculated, calming breaths.

You tell him that he’s killed you too many times to count. He nods pitifully and brings out his trident.

You tell him you don’t want to fight him. His breathing gets funny for a moment, but as you knew he would, he thrusts at you anyway. You flip into a back stand, willing the red heart in front of you tight against your chest, as the trident aims at your soul. The weapon hovers above you before withdrawing from the air. You lift yourself, firmly telling him to STOP fighting.

Recollection flashes in his eyes, but it’s useless to try to get through. Fire is already raining in a sparse and scattered fashion. You take the distraction, jumping onto him and stabbing him between the neck and shoulder as many times as you can.

You gave him yet another opportunity to hear you out, even though you knew he would refuse. Again, he attacks you. When will he learn what a useless endeavored it is?

He flings you into the barrier, and you smash against it, hard. You waste no time rolling across the floor, finishing with a stand as Asgore jabs at pieces of ground you’ve already left behind. There’s hardly a spot on him that isn’t covered in thick armor. You slide toward him, foot-first as he takes a huge swipe, reaching far across the room. Strands of hair are caught on the pole and ripped from your scalp, hardly noticed by yourself.

He tries to stumble backward, but you’re too fast. You stab clear through his foot, keeping the tightest grip possible on the knife. Asgore’s hulking frame bellows out, thrashing against the pain and sending you skidding along the stony surface of the floor.

You only manage to move enough to avoid a deadly, chest center blow, but the middle prong of his weapon catches through your arm as if the layers of flesh aren’t even there. You reach past the fork, clutching the base of the staff as he lifts, causing you to rise as he does. You yank your arm from the tine, the arrow-shaped point causing searing pain when coupled with the odd angle, but you ignore the torn ligaments and swing onto his back, tightly gripping his mane with your uninjured arm. You scramble for a tighter grasp as he attempts to toss you once more, but you already have a firm grip, and quickly bring the dagger to his throat.

He stills, under no illusion that further movement will end him in this situation. His armor restricts too much movement for him to reach you from your current position. You are firmly latched onto his back, ready to slit his throat as deeply as it takes.

He waits. Your injured arm shakes from pain and adrenaline, but you stay still. It’s so much different, during the finishing blow. It’s so much more difficult than you ever imagined, despite all the death you’ve endured.

You try to imagine yourself slicing into him. The warmth of hitched, gargling breath on your sore arm. The look on his face as he crumbles to dust across your body. The clatter and thud as you topple with his armor to the ground.

And you can’t do it.

You hear a pained breath escape him.  
“Ah…” He relaxes against your hold. “So that is how it is.”

The silence between you is somehow comfortable as you rest your sore arm on his shoulder, smearing the lines of blood along it, still perching the knife.

“I remember the day after my son died. The entire underground was devoid of hope. The future had once again been taken from us by the humans.”

Your hand slowly slackens grip.

“In a fit of anger, I declared war. I said that I would destroy any human that came here. I would use their souls to become godlike…  
… and free us from this terrible prison. Then, I would destroy humanity…  
And let monsters rule the surface, in peace.”

You release a bitter laugh. You are unsure if he understands the irony of his statement.

“Soon, the people’s hopes returned. My wife, however, became disgusted with my actions. She left this place, never to be seen again. Truthfully... I do not want power. I do not want to hurt anyone. I just wanted everyone to have hope…  
But… I cannot take this any longer.  
I just want to see my wife. I just want to see my child.  
Please…  
Young one…  
This war has gone on long enough. You have the power…  
Take my soul and leave this cursed place.” He brings himself into a noble stance, befitting of a king before death.

You revamp your hold on the dagger bringing it close to his throat. He’s nearly begging you to do it, yet you know before you even act that you can’t go through with it. You almost immediately give up, sliding down his back and moving in front of him.

It’s been so long. So long, that even the reason you came here is becoming fuzzy. The reason you’ve fought so hard is dulling by the moment. Everything in you struggles to hold on to _why_ you want to go back, why you NEED to go back, but you’re just so _tired._  It’s all that you feel anymore.

It seems selfish, and shitty. All you need to do is kill this ONE person. This single monster, who’s given you permission to take his soul, and you can’t.

He follows you with his eyes as you face him. “No. I won’t do it.” You state this simply, and clearly.

He’s silent for a long few moments, looking over you with intense examination. “After everything I have done to hurt you...  
You would rather stay down here and suffer…  
Than live happily on the surface?”

With sincerity, you nod. You don’t know what you would do on the surface, once you got there. You don’t even know if you could save Tallulah. You just want to rest. Just for a while.

His eyes widen, and you see tears tumble down his great face. “Human…” He smiles. “I promise you…  
For as long as you remain here…  
My wife and I will take care of you as best we can.”

A breath catches in your throat. _Take care of me…?_

“We can sit in the living room, telling stories…  
Eating butterscotch pie…  
We could be like…” His eyes shimmer with a fresh well of tears, your own following close behind. “Like a family…”

The dagger falls from your hand as you take a placid step toward him.

And then **He** comes. With his “friendliness pellets” and soulless cruelty, and rips away the grand, unattainable illusion, striking Asgore down before you, and swiftly destroying his soul, and the final dregs of your hope, in the decimation.

Your shoulders slump as his golden hue comes to view.

“You IDIOT.” His sticky-sweet smile conflicts with his words. “You haven’t learned a thing. In this world…” Souls surround him.

 _The human souls…_ Several colors. They circle, closing in as he absorbs them.

“ _ **I**_ **t _'_** **s _K_ I _L_ L  _o_ r _B_ E _k_ i _l_ l _e_ d** _.”_

You pass out to the melody of his screeching laughter.

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

_**Frisk, wake up. You aren’t done fighting, just yet.** _

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ♡ your comments!
> 
> And I hope you enjoyed!!!!
> 
> *Dies of happy~
> 
> Please check out my one-shot inspired by cosmicArtist's The Deal! (P.s. due to multiple requests, this is no longer a one-shot)
> 
> http://archiveofourown.org/works/10226909


	12. I Think I Broke It...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that chapter was a mess when I first posted it, huh?
> 
> Thankfully I fixed it, and I marked the fixes, in case you're like me, and can't handle re-reading a chapter.  
> Just look for the +×××××+
> 
> The only mandatory piece is the final scene, which is an entirely different thing, and possibly the first scene, which got lost somewhere when I first published.
> 
> Sorry for all this...

+×××××+  
You groan as you sit up, plopping your hands between your legs and looking around the completely empty room. _Maybe I’ve finally died and I’m stuck in limbo._ You chuckle dryly as you shift to your feet, walking in what you assume is a straight line for several minutes.

A small trickle of dread pours over you as the unmistakable feeling of SAVE pulses through your body. That is the last thing you want to do in a place like this, but after your many deaths with Asgore, you’ve learned that there is no way to stop it if it comes about on its own.

Something is different this time. The feeling perpetually builds to the point of near painfulness, before shattering in a similar manner to your soul, before death.

A familiar, floral face appears on a gigantic, glitching, and colorless screen before you. You fumble backwards several feet as he sings out his greeting. “Howdy! It's me, Flowey. Flowey the flower!” He winks, sticking his tongue out at you playfully, as if this is a game. “I owe you a HUGE thanks. You really did a number on that old fool. Without you, I NEVER could have gotten past him. But now, with YOUR help...  
**_H_ e _'s_ D _E_ A _D_**.” Flowey’s center morphs into the battered skull of Asgore, mocking your vain attempts at escape. “ _ **A**_ **n _d_ I' _V_ E _g_ o _t_ t _h_ e _h_ u _m_ a _n_ S _O_ U _L_ S _!_**  
Boy! I've been empty for so long...  
It feels great to have a SOUL inside me again. Mmmm, I can feel them wriggling...” He distorts between a drooling, sunken-eyed, crooked-toothed grin, and his normal, manipulatively innocent look.

Your heart drops into the pit of your stomach. _Are they still alive?_ An intensely worried and hurt look crosses over you.

“Awww, you're feeling left out, aren't you? Well, that's just perfect. After all, I only have six souls. I still need one more...  
**_B_ e _f_ o _r_ e _I_ b _e_ c _o_ m _e_ G _O_ D** **.** **_A_ n _d_ t _h_ e _n_ , _w_ i _t_ h _m_ y _n_ e _w_ f _o_ u _n_ d _p_ o _w_ e _r_ s _..._**  
**_M_ o _n_ s _t_ e _r_ s.**  
**_H_ u _m_ a _n_ s.**  
**_E_ v _e_ r _y_ o _n_ e.**  
**_I'_ l _l_ s _h_ o _w_ t _h_ e _m_ a _l_ l _t_ h _e_ R _E_ A _L_ m _e_ a _n_ i _n_ g _o_ f _t_ h _i_ s _w_ o _r_ l _d_**. Oh, and forget about escaping to your old SAVE FILE. _**I**_ **t' _s_ g _o_ n _e_ f _o_ r _e_ v _e_ r**. But don't worry. Your old friend FLOWEY...  
Has worked out a replacement for you! **_I'_ L _L_ S _A_ V _E_ o _v_ e _r_ y _o_ u _r_ o _w_ n _d_ e _a_ t _h_. _S_ o _y_ o _u_ c _a_ n _w_ a _t_ c _h_ m _e_ t _e_ a _r_ y _o_ u t _o_ b _l_ o _o_ d _y_ p _i_ e _c_ e _s_**...  
**_O_ v _e_ r, _a_ n _d_ o _v_ e _r_ , a _n_ d _o_ v _e_ r**...”

You take an unwavering step toward him. Death is not something you fear anymore, and being absorbed by this freak isn't something you’re willing to let happen. “You'll have to come up with a better plan if you want to scare me.” You provoke his attack.

“... **_w_ h _a_ t _?_ _D_ o _y_ o _u_ r _e_ a _l_ l _y_ t _h_ i _n_ k _y_ o _u_ c _a_ n _s_ t _o_ p _M_ E _?_ ** Hee hee hee...  
**Y o u   r e a l l y   A R E   a n   i d i o t**.”  
+×××××+

 

* * *

 

 _ **It’s too late now…**_ The voice taunts you, scratching at your soul. Churning your stomach with sickening reality. _**How can you make it home when you’re stuck in this abyss?**_

There is no light in this place. There is no warmth. Only the company of self degradation, but you can no longer tell if the thoughts are your own.

 _**How can she be okay when Sans can’t keep his promise…** _  
_**Because you broke yours?** _

 Your soul aches to its core. It feels as if it will shatter at any moment.

_“and frisk… i’m sorry…”_

His words ring in your mind like a parasite. You begged to give up your soul. You died _over_ and _over_ so you could be released from the hell that encompasses your life.

Now you're trapped, grated by thoughts of what can never be. She’s alone, and so are you.

_**You never should have left.** _

  
_“this is why i hate making promises.”_

 

* * *

 

+×××××+  
It feels as if months have passed, spending your time trying to quell your overwhelming fears in the darkness.

_He said they would get out...  
He's going to keep his pomise..._

**_But he doesn't know how long it will_ ** _**take.**_

You yearn for distraction from the constant pain of your physical wounds; those that remain unhealed by the other human souls that fought so valiantly against Flowey. They were the ones who truly defeated him.

You hope they escaped this place; your personal damnation.

_Speak of the devil._

He rises into your vision, smug smile on his once again pristine features.

“Hey.” You’re surprisingly coherent, and calm considering the situation. “How long has it been?” It's impossible to know in a place like this, with no light, or sleep to guide you through a day.  
+×××××+

“About a week...” He admits.

You only nod in response. 

“Why…?” He asks. “Why did you let me go? Don’t you realize that being nice…  
… just makes you get hurt?” He voices in genuine curiosity, but complete lack of concern.

“You get hurt either way.” You admit. “Might as well be nice. At least you have something to hold on to.”

“But look at yourself.” He recants. “You made all these great friends…  
And now, you’ll probably never see them again. Not to mention how they’ve been set back by you.” He leers.

You move your gaze to the ground. You’ve thought about that. Many times.

“Hurts, doesn’t it? If you had just gone through without caring about anyone…  
You wouldn’t have to feel bad now. So I don’t get it. If you really did everything the right way…  
Why did things still end up like this? Why…?”

“I dunno…” You shrug. “I just accept it.”

“Is life really that unfair?” He asks you.

“Yes, It is.” There is no shade of doubt within you that this is the truth. You sit quietly for a few moments. It’s nice to have someone else with you, especially when they aren’t trying to kill you.

“Say.” The flower pipes. “What if I told you…  
I knew some way to get you a better ending? You’ll have to load your SAVE file and…  
Well, in the meantime, why don’t you go see Dr. Alphys? It seems like you could have been better friends.” It’s almost seems that rather than speaking to you, he's speaking  _through_ you.

“Is that why you’re back?” You quiz. “You fixed my SAVE?”

“It wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be.” He shrugs his leaves.

“Thank you.” The statement is genuine. “I... wasn’t sure how much… how much longer…” You fight to find the correct verbiage.

Flowey gives you a pitying smile. “Yeah... see you soon.” He sees himself out, and the SAVE loads without warning or will, erasing the kings death, and the monster's sorrow.

 

* * *

 

“hey, kid…”

You jump a little as the monster you’ve come to know best in the underground pops in front of you. You release a breath, and attempt to glare, but emotion evades you.

“Do you need something?” You say in a nearly robotic tone. You aren’t sure what keeps you pushing forward. It’s almost as if you act outside your own accord; like your movements aren’t your own, but another's.

“paps called me. he’s worried. you were acting funny when you stopped by to see him and undyne, and you aren’t answering your phone.” He hides his concern behind his usual masquerade.

“Do you care?” You raise an eyebrow.

+×××××+

He scans over you before finally nodding, arms in his pockets, as always. He wasn’t planning on caring. Then again, a lot of things have been happening outside of plan.

“Hmmm…” You place a smokescreen of mild interest onto yourself. Many years of acting against your true feelings has served you well, in instances such as this. “Well, I don’t, so I’ll just be going now.” You move around him, attempting to get to your destination as quickly as possible.

He grunts in annoyance at your dismissal. “c’mon, don’t just ignore me. i’m tryinna help you, here…” You disregard him, furthering his agitation.  
“frisk...” He appears directly in front of you for a second time when you make no move to consider him.

You frown as he blocks your path. “I don’t need any help, thank you. Please move now.” You study him with stony eyes.

“maybe i should be minding my own business,” He shrugs. “but for some reason, i don’t believe you.”

It feels like he’s looking at your soul, the way he peers. “And for some reason, I still don’t care, so just get out of the way.” You each challenge the other with your stares.

He let’s out an agitated huff, furrowing his brow to match his mood. “you’re really startn’ to get on my nerves, pal. what’s going on? cause a few hours ago, when we made that deal, you were a different person, so don’t go tryin’a tell me you’re fine.”

“A few...?  
Oh. Right…” You remember now, when you are. While you knew before, you hadn’t thought about it. You were just focused on mindlessly completing the next task; and that task is to bring a letter to Alphys, for Undyne.

His concern is apparent now; painted along his eyes without the attempt to hide it. “…how long has it been?”

“Apparently it’s been a week. A week and a few days.” You correct yourself for the time actually spent down here.

He let’s out a low whistle. “a week? How in the world did you manage that?”

You sigh, crossing your arms and shrugging. “It’s a long story. I really do need to go.”

He sighs and shrugs, feigning nonchalance. “welp… i tried. just, ya know, take care of yourself, kid. ‘cause someone really cares about you.” He moves from in front of you, meandering away before you call him.

“Hey… wait a second…” You turn to face him, as he does the same. “Thanks. Thank you for coming to see if I’m okay…  
… I’m not, if that answers your question.”

He smiles sadly. “i know, kiddo. i know.”  
+×××××+

 

* * *

 

There’s no mail slot in the door to the lab. You shove it under, expecting it to tear a bit in the process, but the letter is too powerful. Undyne is the one who wrote it, after all. You give a knock, bringing the envelope to Alphys’ attention.

Muffled chatter starts inside as Alphys struggles with herself about whether or not to open it, before finally deciding to face her calligraphy fear. “Um…  
I-its shut k-kind of strongly, isn’t it?” You hear her stifled voice through the door. “Wait a second…” clanging ensues before what sounds like a chainsaw, and then silence as she reads.

Finally, the door swishes open. “Hey,” She starts, sadly. “If this is a joke, it’s...” She looks up and notices who is standing at the door. “Oh My God? Did you write this letter?” She smiles anxiously. “It wasn’t signed, so I have no idea who could have…”

You look at her, perplexed. Maybe she took it as nerves, because she obviously makes the assumption that you were the author.

“Oh my god. Oh no. That’s adorable…” She blushes. “And I h-had no idea you, um, wrote that way!” She states, flustered.

A grin twitches at the edges of your lips. You really wish you knew what Undyne put in that note, but judging by the chainsaw sounds, it wouldn’t have been possible to open.

“It’s surprising, too…  
After all the gross stuff I did….  
I don’t really deserve to be forgiven. Much less, um…  
This?  
And so passionately, too.” She says in wonderment.

“I have a… very… expressive? Internal monologue?” You attempt to answer. You're a bit out of practice with your acting, but part of you wants to see where this is going. Besides, Flowey said you needed to become better friends with her, right? What better way than a date? That’s how you made your other friends, after all.

She puffs her cheeks in thought. “You know what, okay! I’ll do it! It’s the least I can do to make it up to you!” She skitters up the escalator and into her room, on the upper floor. You stand in the doorway for several minutes, lost in thought as she prepares. “Uhhh, sorry! I’m still getting dressed!” She shouts down to you before descending. She smiles awkwardly in front of you. “H-how do I look?”

You examine her a moment before commenting. She’s wearing a fitted, ankle-length dress with small polka-dots. You hum in approval. “You look great!” You grin.

  
“My friend helped me pick out this dress. She’s got a great sense of…  
Um, anyway! Let’s do this thing!” She fumbles. You only get half a nod out before she’s pausing the date again. “H-h-hey, w-w-wait! Actually, we still can’t start the date yet!!!”

“Uh, okay… then…” You adjust the ribbon around your neck. It briefly reminds you of your very first death, before Alphys interrupts the thought and explains.

“Umm, I’ve got to give you items to raise your affection statistic, first! That’ll increase the chance of a successful outcome to the date! Right..?” She gives her classic, unsure smile.

You look around the room for clues. “I… don’t really know...  
I’ve only ever been on a date with Papyrus.” You explain.

She chuckles at the thought. “Well, d-don’t worry! I’m prepared! I-I’ve been stockpiling gifts in anticipation for a date like this! F-first, I’ve got…  
Some metal armor polish!” You both stare at the item for a moment before she sets it on her computer desk. “Um, maybe you can’t use that. But!!! I also brought some waterproof cream for your scales!” She spits excitedly.

You try not to laugh at the obviousness of the gifts intended recipient. “Scales?” A small chortle escapes, regardless.

She blushes deeply at her mistake. “Your, uh…  
Scales…  
Uh, well, how about…  
This magical spear repair kit, that I…  
Um…  
Hey, let’s forget about the items! Let’s just start the date!” she curls her fingers together.

You’re smiling, despite yourself, even if it is half-hearted. “Okay…!” You try, and fail, to sound enthusiastic. You hope it isn’t as obvious to Alphys that something is wrong, as it was to Papyrus.

You both stand awkwardly as Alphys’ face grows increasingly anxious. “… uh…  
Do you… like…  
Anime…?”

A light blush spreads over your cheeks. “I… don’t really know, actually…” You admit, embarrassed.

“Oh.” She answers before more strained silence takes over. “Hey! Let’s!! Go somewhere!!! But where’s a good place to go on a date…?” You pull at the sleeve of your shirt while she thinks. “I’ve got it!!! Let’s go to the garbage dump!” She runs off before you can consent to sloshing in sludge for a date.

You sigh deeply and follow behind her.

 

* * *

 

It didn’t take long for Alphys to confess to you that this wasn’t a real date, and she’s truly been in love with Undyne the entire time. She just couldn’t bring herself to admit the truth to the strong and strapping young lass. Though you were unsurprised, you suggested a roleplay. It was just supposed to be a fun little thing. You would be Undyne, Alphys would be, well, Alphys, and she would admit her feelings toward Undyne to you, as practice. Somewhere along the way, things went a little… askew.

“UNDYNE!!! I CAN’T TAKE THIS ANY LONGER!!!” Her voice quivers with exhilaration. “I’M MADLY IN LOVE WITH YOU!!! HOLD ME, UNDYNE!! HOLD ME!!!” She screeches loud enough for all of Waterfall to hear.

 _.. maybe she’s just been holding her feelings in for too long…_ You cringe a bit, before reeling back a few steps as the real Undyne rushes in. Her eyes are wide in disbelief. “WHAT did you just say?” She shoots in surprise at Alphys.

_Uh oh…_

Alphys follows in your footsteps, backing away from her crush worriedly. “U… Undyne! I… was… just…” She stumbles to find her wording.

The fish-woman halts her. “Hey, whoa, wait a second! Your outfit’s really cute! What’s the occasion?” Both women look to you before moving back to eye each other. “Wait a second.” Fury slowly creeps onto her face. “Are you two…  
On a date?” She almost pleads to Alphys.

“UHHH, YES!” She blurts, causing Undyne to cast you her murdery gaze. “I mean, UHH, NO!”

Undyne doesn’t seem to know what to do with that information. She looks at you. You shrug and point back at Alphys.

“I mean, we were, but... I mean, we were actually romantically roleplaying as you!”

Undyne looks as if another word might make her head explode. “WHAT???”

“I MEAN!!! I mean… Undyne… I… I’ve been lying to you!”

 _That’s right! Just like we practiced!_ You rejoice before noticing that Undyne is glaring at you once again. _Why does she keep giving ME that look!? I didn’t lie…_ You cry internally before realizing that you did. You’re on this date because you lied. _  
Never mind…_

“WHAT??? ABOUT WHAT???” Undyne hollers, unable to hold back her frustration at the disorienting vagueness.

“About… well…  
Everything!  
Itoldyouthatseaweedwaslike… scientificallyimportant...  
ReallyIjust…Ijustuseittomakeicecream!  
AndthosehumanhistorybooksIkeepreading…  
Thosearejustdorkycomicbooks!  
Andthehisorymovies…those….  
Thosearejust,uh,anime!Theyaren’treal!  
AndthattimeItoldyouIwasbusywithworkonthephone…I…  
Wasjusteatingfrozenyogurtinmypajamas!  
ThattimeI…”

“Alphys.” Undyne interrupts, giving her a kind, gentle smile.

“I… I just wanted to impress you! I just wanted you to think I was smart and cool. That I wasn’t some… nerdy loser.” She stares at the ground in shame .

You feel kind of out of place, viewing such an intimate moment as Undyne leans down to stroke the significantly shorter Alphys’ head. “Alphys.”

“Undyne, I… I really think you’re neat, OK...”

“Alphys. Shhhh.” Undyne gets down on her knees to hug the stubby dinosaur. “Shhhhhh.” She then picks her up, to Alphys’ shock, as a basketball hoop appears over a nearby trash can, and tosses her through it, and into the bin. “Alphys! I… think you’re neat, too, I guess. But, you’ve gotta realize…  
Most of what you said really doesn’t matter to me. I don’t care if you’re watching kid cartoons or reading history books. To me, ALL of that stuff is just NERDY CRAP!” She hollers intensely. “What I like about you is that you’re PASSIONATE! You’re ANNALYTICAL!! It doesn’t matter what it is! YOU CARE ABOUT IT!! 100 PERCENT!! AT MAXIMUM POWER!!!” She softens her features for the final swoop of forgiveness. “… so, you don’t have to lie to me. I don’t want you to have to lie to anyone, anymore. Alphys…  
I want to help you become happy with who you are! And I know just the training you need to do that!”

Alphys pops the lid up on the trash can, lifting her feet through the bottom. Her glasses reflect through the slit on the top as she speaks. “Undyne…  
You…  
Y-you’re gonna train me…?” hearts develop in her eyes, and her blush is visible even through the darkness of the container.

“Pffft, what? ME?” Papyrus rises from behind a short pile of garbage, one arm raised. The basketball hoop makes sense, now. Alphys’ eyes narrow as Undyne continues. “Nah, I’m gonna have Papyrus do it.” She says, without a hint of jest.

Papyrus leaps next to Alphys. He’s wearing a jersey with ‘jogboy’ written on the front. “GET THOSE BONES SHAKIN’!!! IT’S TIME TO JOG 100 LAPS, HOOTING ABOUT HOW GREAT WE ARE!!!” He releases in excitement.

“Ready? I’m about to start the timer!” Undyne challenges.

“U-Undyne…” Alphys looks concernedly at the skeleton beside her. “I’ll do my best…!” She relents before the pair jog slowly off, leaving Undyne and yourself alone.

“OH MY GOD!!!” Undyne promptly yelps when they’re out of sight. “She was kidding, right!? Those cartoons…  
Those comics…  
Those are still REAL, right!? ANIME’S REAL, RIGHT?!?!” Her face twitches wildly as she awaits your answer.

“Um… I mean, cartoons are… pretty much always fake… so… um… no…”

You flinch a little at her reaction to your answer. “No…. NO!!!! I CAN FEEL MY HEART BREAKING INTO PIECES!!!” She whines desperately, and with gusto.

“Um… Undyne?” You move to inquire about her mental safety, though you’re hardly the most qualified person to do so.

“… no,” She recants. “I can survive this… I have to be strong. For Alphys. Thank you, human, for telling me the truth.” She smiles at you. “I’ll try my best to live in this world…  
See you later!” She sprints off, leaving you on a platform of wood, to wade through the garbage alone.

“Bye…” You call weakly after her, even though you know she can’t hear you. You sigh and make your way through the water. Your phone, which you’ve removed from your pocket, buzzes in your hand while you slosh. You don’t speak when you answer. You simply hold the device away from your head, as you recognize the number.

“HOWDY! IF IT ISN’T MY GOOD FRIEND, WHO TRUSTS ME. THIS IS PAPYRUS. YOUR ALSO MUTUAL FRIEND.” He says in a not-a-all suspicious way.

“Yes, Papyrus?” You inquire.

“ALPHYS AND I FINISHED OUR TRAINING EARLY. VERY EARLY. SO I SENT HER HOME. VERY HOME. UH… NOW. I FEEL STRONGLY AND FOR NO APPARENT REASON. YOU SHOULD ALSO GO… THERE. TO HER. LAB… HOUSE. I HAVE ONLY GOOD FEELINGS ABOUT THIS. GOODBYE.” The line disconnects, leaving you feeling more than a little over, and simultaneously under, whelmed.

 

* * *

 

+×××××+

  
E̪̟̩̠̥N͕͎Ṱ̘̦͎̜͇͐ͯ̒̆̀͋͛R̤̝̹̦Ỵ̘̖̘ͯͮ ̟̩̖͈͈̦̭ͪ͛͌͗͊͐N̲̺͎͂͋U͐ͪ̾ͪM̤̞̻̻̃̀̾B̤͈͎̹̜̜̣ͣ͑Ẹ̜̳̘͓ͯ̓͛̏̆̓̌R̻̭ͤ͋͐ͭ̿͊ ̦̮̽ͮͣ͂̚S̪̟̰͖͗E̦͎̩̽̓̊ͤ̈́͌̎V͚̠͈̬̰̑E̪̎̾̎͋ͧN̜̯̗͙͖ͬͨ́Ṯ̱̝̘̗̭̀Ẻ̪̝̫̫̞̳̚Ḛ͙̭͛͂N̰̭̤̮̯̰  
̘͚̼̟̥͑̿̓̓  
͉̥̹̬̞̔̋̈́̄̏D̗̦̪ͨͮͩ̅̓Å̘͙R̀K̰̥̍͆̔ ̙̫͔͍̥̖ͥ̓ͯ̿̃̚D͂̓A̱̲̜͒͐̇͑ͨR͇͖̯̬ͅK̼͍͒E̟̲̗̯̥̹͑͌͊̍̾͒R̊ ̔̉͒ͣͮ̆Y̠Ē̗̣̰̗̫͑͊̓̓͑̎T̺̾̓͌̓̅͆͂ ̤̞̫ͥ̒͑̓̃D͖̦̰̬̯̹̀ͧA̘͂̿̿͗͌ͭ̅R̯̝͓͙͔͙ͭ̔̎͐͒K̎̽̚E̮̤ͫ̔R͖͕̯̿ͪ  
͎̘̭͙͂ͩ̃̐̑̑̒ͅ  
̪̏ͩṮ̼̗̣̗̙̖̓ͮͩ̏̓̌̑H̼̤͇͔̩̺ͤ͊̆͛͌ͩ͌Ẻ̬̞̏̎͗͊̈́͛ ̓̓̿̒̿D͔͎̪͖̪̫̞̽̓̊ͩ̑A̺͉̺̮̭̟ͦͩ̉R̾̅͌̐ͥK͖͌́͑ͮṆ̮͎͓ͯ̓ͯ̂ͮ̆̚E͛͛ͤͭͥŜ̬̼̳͍͉ͩͦ͐̈́̐̊S̞̱͎̭̥̻̿ͭ͑ ͈͖̿K̳̳̞͍̮ͩE̝͙̗̮E͖͕P̽̚Ŝ͔̺̰̥͇̝̇̃̅́̂ ̥̥̼̯̽ͪͥͪ̈́G̦̬̥̮̭̠̣ͦͨ̾̉̑̏̾R͍̜̂͑̽͋ͮO̳̼̯̮̺͌ͧ̄W̰̰̻̰͖͙̑̑͋I͖̺̬̹ͤ̈́N̪̣̭͊ͪ̂̽G͊̆ͧ  
͕̙̠̬̲ͮ  
̦̓ͭ̐ͪͭ̚T͕͙̩͙͇̟̲͆̑̆H͖̼̟͚̊ͮͣͣẸ͇͋̓̿ ̻̱̜̐̔̑̾ͤ͊̎ͅͅS͍ͣͣH̹̘͕͙̮̰̾ͮ̎̈ͭ̌A̘̤̗͖ͨ̔̊ͧͨḒ͇̰̱ͮ̃O̻ͭ͆W̜̾̃̓̈́́S͖̙̼̩̬͋ͦͮ́ͬ ̪̫̪̈̆C̭̞̟̰͈̃͊͑ͤͨͪÚ̥̺͌̀̂͊Ṱ̦͍̼̥̣̉̄͆̈Ṫ̺̳̜̥̤̪̓I̱͉̙̣͕͌͒̀Ǹ̙̹̹̰͈̗G̹͈̖͔̩͒͒ͧ ͈̭̰̥̣͚̗̐ͧ͑ͨ̇̆̏D͓͇̜͈̤̚E͔̒̇͒ͪ̄EP̌E̪̩ͩ͑ͭ̊̿͗ͥR̩͔̥̞̙̠̪̓͆̋̂  
̱͇̬ͮ̆  
̜̞̝̖̟͕͋̇ͨ…͖̖̄̓̿̊

 

“Wh-who are you?”

 

W̝ͯͯͯ̓̚H̪̜Ã̙̮̥̤̝ͧ̽ͨ̉̃ͮT̰̫͎̞͂͋̿ ̘̹̪̬͖Ȃ͒͊R̓͂̉̿̍͐E̥̋͑͑ͮ ͉͎̘͕̝͑ͯ̆ͧ͛ͅY̘̣̮̱̠̳̖ͮͮ͗ͥ̚Ò̞͇̪͉̈́ͮU͈͉̽̇̅ͨͯ̉ ̍ͪͮͦͤ͒̑Ḋ͇̖̼̂͐͐Ỏ̳̘͑̄I̳̺͖͕̒N̥͈̠̥̼̝͂̊͒ͪG̦̻̮̣͈͉ͨ̆̅̾̿ ̗̹̝̠ͭ͐̔ͤ̈ͮ̚H̰̩̘̪̣̫̆ͅË̮̣̖͒̎̄ͣ͑R͇̤̘̂E̬̱͈̳̻ͥ?̯̞̘̙͕̹̫̅̏̂  
̠̊͆  
̥̣̝͛ͥ̏̄Y̱̼͒̆Ŏ̜̯̖̬͓͙U̥̰̪ ̮A̹͖͖͕̝ͮ͛̽̂ͨ̈́R͚̰͈͌E̬̼̦̟̤ͯN̹̟̺͐ͭͤ͗͑’ͪ͒ͨ̚T̘̺̦͓̺͒̈́͛̆ͨ ̘̝̪̂̊̎͒̚S͍͕͙ͫ̂̋́U̲̫̠͚͋͑̑P͔̝̯̭͇͎͕̈́͋̄Ṗ̾͒Ŏ̰̥͉̜̩͉̣ͧ͋ͭ̏̀̚S̍͌̅͋͌͆̂E̗̮ͨ̍͆ͤD̙̭͙ͤ̓́ͮ̋ ̮̥̫̫̿̅͗ͤ͂T͙̰̬̹̍͋ͥO̞̳̘͖̖ͯ̊ ̙̗͎͐ͨ̈́̓ͮ̽ͅB̝̐̐E̓ ̝̲̖̭̻ͬ̉H̦͕͎͉̫̥̞̽̊̔͛E͌̎ͦ͌̐Ŕ͓̻͚̲̮̫̈Ë̝́̃

 

“What are you saying…? I-I can’t understand!”

 

G̪E̤͓̯͋ͫͤͩȚ̆̔̑͋ ̲̱͇̪͖ͤ͗̉̉O̜̤ͭ̽̎̌̌U͕͙̫̦̎̈́͊ͯ̅T̠̽ͥͤ̃́̈́͆  
̩̠͙̩̼̝̈ͬ̑̈  
̺̆̄̊͛I̹̺̾ͬ͑̓T̝̥̯̼̽̈̀ͪͧͭ́ ͌ͭ̆ͤ̽ͩ̐I͚̯̟̹̜͋̐̓̓̽͛͆S̹̜͔̟̑̽̓ͨN͚̑̈ͨ̿͒̄ͦ’͉̙ͨ̽̓ͪT͖̖̘͇̟̺̔ͥ͌ ̼̮͕̃ͧͣ̄͐ͣ͛SͥͦA̪̘̻̭͉̪͌ͧF̩͕́ͮͨ̿E̬̬̭͈̰ͭ̊̓  
̫̟̻̲͍̗̫͛͒̾̚  
͓̜͉͇̞̪͐L̉̄ͬ̚E͐̓ͯÄ͌ͤͧ͋V̩̜̫̘͈̥͓́̂ͧ̋̿Ē̠̖̃͛ ͔͔̦̈ͤͭ̆͒ͨN̬̭̦̮̩̠̞O̬̻̣̭ͣ͐̈Ŵ̪̖ͭͩ̓!̝͕͚̞̳͐͂ͫ̔̉

 

“No... Go away! DON'T TOUCH ME!!”

 

Ǐ̱̻ͫ͊ ͍̻͖̣̳̲̋̎͒Ȧ̘̦̾M̖͉̣͇̟͓̳͛͋̅͊ͩ ̻̱̜̣̃ͪ̔̓T͙̞̰̓ͫRͤ͛̾Y̘̘͍̹̮̞ͮͨͫ̚I̙͒̔ͩ̎Ṅ͕̰ͭ̾͒̎̋G̹̰̲̥͎̰̳͗͛ ̤͉̩̒͒T̘͙̣̻̄͗́̍ͦȮ̥̠̞̪̳͇͚ͬ͂̓̃͒ͣ ͓ͤ͆ͭ̓̉͋ͣH͔̣ͣ̾͋E͕̭͎̩͉͕̳L͖̩̜P͚͓̺̩͖̹̋̅̈́̉ͅ ̭̯̤ͥ̃ͣ͊͛͑Yͭ̅ͣȎ̦̲͎͈͚͈̝͗́̒̂ͧÚ̫͍ͪ̇,̞̻̭͐ͤ̏̽ͭ̅ ̬Ỹ̳͈͓͎͇̳ͧ͗̿O̲̱̐ͧͣU̟͕̜̭̺ ̩̮̿ͧ͆̌F͛̓̑́ͧ̾O͎̫̞̫O̝̩̣̭ͭͨL͖ͅ!̘̹̼̝̜̪͂̐̈́́̂̌

+×××××+

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **IMPORTANTISH QUESTION:**  
>  So... how would you like, in the future, a video chapter?  
> Like, an animated music video or something? I would like to know if this is something you would even want to see.
> 
>  
> 
> Also, I might be getting married... to Editorsan! So... that's why this is late... ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡ Hee hee!


	13. It's Not Nice to-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **VERY IMPORTANT NOTE! PLEASE READ!**
> 
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> If you have not been made aware yet, I made MAJOR changes to chapter 12. I've marked them so you don't have to read the whole chapter again if you don't want to. I implore you to check them out, or else you will be even more confused in this chapter then you already will be.
> 
>    
> Thank you for taking the time to read my story♡ It really means a lot to me!

Every cell divides into its molecular construct. The pain of it is unimaginable; to be stuck in a cycle of wholeness, perpetually shredding itself. To live the moments before your existence ceased, and all those that surround it. To be whole, yet separate. A crumbling example of the universe’s fabrications. You have rejected yourself. Ejected yourself. This is what it means to be shattered. To exist and to not, in every possibility, in every action made and unmade. An unobserved particle, observed. Measured by Consciousness; but this universe no longer accepts you.

P̭͕̻͒͋͟H̸̞̃̾͛̑Ỏ͕̦̰̃T̞̤͙̙̘̗̮̂͠O̵̬̦͕͕̞ͮ̄͒N̮̰̘̩̙̝̰̐ ̮̖̼͓͕̊̃ͥ̆ͥͩṘ͖̪̘͖̮͈̣ͦ̔E̵͙̔ͩ̌ͤ̈́͋͑Ą̫̠̠̼͉͕̺͐̐̓̄D̼̲̦̙̐̽ͦȊ͉̯̘̞̻̘ͅN͔̄ͩ̍ͩ̐ͦͯ͡G̢̺̰ͩ̔͂Š̽̔ ͇͎̫̂Nͨ̒̚͏E͎̠̘͔̘͋̔̆Gͧ̎͗̐҉̻A̧̹̯̙̙͊͆Ț̣̤̪̫̳̀̾͛I͞Ṽ̶̠͚̗͔Ē͎̫̓́ͮͣ̿̚̕

You do not belong. Tearing, building, ripping, snapping.

T͓̿̈̾̾̓͛͞H̾ͬ̈͛̅ͮ̕Ǐ̳͎͉̬͂͂ͩ̋Ș̞̗̒͋̔̑ ͈̲̣͌ͩ̏ͭ̌̉͐͡N̄͝Ē̢̝̟̲̰̭̒̊̊X̠ͬͪT̡͎̤̥͔̯̟̞ ̢͉̾E̠͇̞ͦ̄͆̈͛̏ͫX̺̰̰̪̗͔̮͆̒̄͂ͧͫ̏P̵̮̮̻̯̻̻̄E͏̟͎R͚̽ͩ̈͑̄Ì̲̬͍͓̼̩̠͊ͬͩM̡̺̦̺͈̘̤͋͂͐ͦ̓̎Ë̺̲̮̫̩̘͇́N͔̺̩͗͆̀ͮ̀͗Tͭ́҉̺͇͇̘̳̥

The observer. They must leave. They will be torn, too. But they struggle, creating time in timelessness.

S͙̞̘̹͖̯ͫ̓ͮḚ̏ͯͤ͊ͅȄ̙̝̔̎̃̾ͪM̝̿̽͐̀͒S̲̞̤̪  
̤̣̺͍͕̊͛ͧͧV̖͖̬̞͙̪͕ͥ̑ͭͤE̙̠̟͙̲̪R̤̜͕͎Ỵ͋

A moment of madness. The past reacting to future events.

V͈̲̝̝E̷̤͆ͫͬ͋͛R̵̒̆ͅY̺͍̤̦̙̼̊͛ͯ͒̆͛

Waves becoming particles, hitting, slipping, spinning, thrusting into their soul. They scream.

I̯ͬ͆N͇͍̖̰̯̬̽ͣ̉T̰͕̣ͩ̈́̏̀ͨͅEͩ͗ͬ҉̟͎͍͎̙R̨̹̳̮͉̩͗̄̈ͮ͂E̪̻̙̍̏ͫ̀̒ͅS̞̖̱̺̕T̈ͫ̌I̺̩̺ͦ̔͛ͮͪ͋N̳̯͙͈ͦ̃̈͊Ğ͈̊

They will shred, too, now. Join you in constant agony. All at once and never. Madness. Life. Insanity. Death.

.̼̪͂ͭ̓͡.̫̂̄ͮͣ͡.͇̮̙̖ͨͤͥ͂̏͑  
**̲̻̰̝͖͓͊ͅW̪ͦͤ͊̓̈͜H̓ͬͅA̪̮͇̺̖ͧͭͫͯ̑̍̅Tͧ̊̇̓ͥ͋ ̽ͪ̑́͞Ḍ̺̙̪̣̜̺ͦ͌͋̔͋ͪ̉O̳͚͍̬̺͉͌̉̏ͅ ͔̖̺̭̬̖̩̍ͩ̇͌̈́Ŷ͇͇̙̰̗͚̻̃ͧ̎̎̓̔͟Ǒ̬̘̊ͩ̏̓͛U͂̑̇ ̬̃̈̇̈́ͨͦͯŢ̤͈̟̜̖̦̜̈́͊̓͐̔W̗̰Ö̶͖̝͎̥͈ ̸̲̙͙̅Tͤ͗͆ͬ͌H̖̒̌Ȋ̲N̋͌͌ͯͩ͋ͭ͏̤K̼͙̹̩͐ͯ̐̍̈ͤͪ?̮̩͎̰**

 

 

* * *

 

“Hold them still, Alph!”

“I-I’m trying! She braces against you, harder, still. Legs over legs. Arm over arms. Hand holding head as you convulse.

Your shirt is torn off where the shredded fabric lies. You can’t feel the cold against your skin, for the pain that is overriding, like nothing you’ve felt. Every piece of existence hurts to its core.

The piece is not in your body. Maybe your soul?

**You smell̸͇̦̬̬͢l͎͍̯̜̣̪͔͎͠͠l͚̞̠̹͘l̸̵̜̦͇͙͉͖̻͉l but̞͔̺̝̺̲̣͠͡**

**t̛ͮ͐̈ͤ̚͟erscotch p̛̄͌͊͗͛ͫ͐ͩ͡i̢̨̐ͦ̇̈͊̽̅̅̊ē̛̐ͦ̒͐͗̒͠͞**

Sans panics. “Fuck, where is it!?” Your soul, misty and smearing in space, traces left inside of you. Cracking itself. Breaking. Shattering. Hopelessness.

You can feel their hopelessness. “… alph… i can’t get it out without…”

“B-but we don’t know what effect that will have! Their s-soul is already sh-shattering!” They stare at each other, listening to the chorus of screams. Watching you slowly rip apart.

**me Asrr̻̪̺̟̠͚̯͚̽̌̽̓̂͊r͍͚ͣr̸̡̺̖̹͎̣͙̙͕̠̈́̄ͩŗ͉̱̭̪̗̗̱̼̓̆̔̑ͫ̋̍͝iel?**

**D͇̩̤̓ Do you doubt**

Your mind begs for death. Your mouth finds the mercy to speak for you. “ **KILL ME!!!** ”

“N-no!!! W-we can’t d-do that!” She has never watched someone die. She’s afraid. Blood has never been spilled on her hands.

He looks at you, writhing and screeching. Only Alphys’s hold keeps you from contorting. A piece separates fully from your soul. Your body is becoming affected. There’s nothing else to do. There’s no other way. To protect you now, means to kill you, or else, let you shatter and be lost forever. The risk must be taken.

**se kil̴̵̠͕̮̦̥̱̳̒̓̑ͮ͝ͅi̟̩͇͕̟͚͕̾͐̉̆̅̀̈́̌̌ͯ̏̒ͦ̒ͫ͝͠͠ll**

**“Pleal̶̝̝̣̇̓̃̌̉̃͘ḙ͖̣̉ͮͪ́ͫ̚͜͢a̡̛͓̜̼̯͙͈̓͌̍͒̅̊l̨̬͙̇̍ḙ̮̐͆͌̏̚͢a̡͈ͣ̓ͦ̚**

**Us!”**

 

“SANS NO!!!”

 

* * *

 

A soul. Your soul. No not-

 _ **My soul**_.

“HEY! STOP!!!” Alphys. She halts the amalgamates. You hardly noticed them coming, as dredges of the future still lingering so heavily in the atmosphere.

You keep her from her speech. “You did well, Alphys, by coming back. Take them home.”

An uncomfortable knowing exudes from deep within her mind. You turn to watch her nod and leave with the dripping, amorphous creatures; once dying monsters, now melded together in a soup of magic and determination. Experimentation to escape the underground, gone wrong.

 _H-hello_? You timidly prod your mind for the other being who inhabits it. You know she was here. You could hear her screams when your soul was splitting apart. You could feel her carrying you when you were too weak to move on. You could see her life flashing before her eyes as you were **torn appart**.

Did she see the same of you? Was she destroyed by the piece of that man? The piece you can still feel in your soul?

Your phone rings as you make your way to the elevator that will take you back to the castle. On the other end is a voice you have never heard before.

“Chara…  
Are you there?”

“Who is this?” You question the person on the other end.

“It’s been a long time, hasn’t it? But you’ve done well. Thanks to you, everything has fallen into place.  
Chara…  
See you soon.”

 

* * *

 

You can’t help but fly toward her when she appears. She holds you tightly, repeating familiar phrases from far in the past. “What a miserable creature, torturing such a poor, innocent, youth…”

You shudder in her grip. Tears, for once of happiness, overtake you.

“Do not be afraid, my child. It is I, TORIEL, your friend and guardian.” She soothes you through your tears. “At first, I thought I would let you make your journey alone…  
But I could not stop worrying about you. Your adventure must have been so treacherous.  
… and ultimately, it would burden you with a horrible choice. To leave this place, you would have to take the life of another person. You would have to defeat ASGORE. However… I realized… I cannot allow that. It is not right to sacrifice someone simply to let someone leave here. Is that not what I have been trying to prevent this whole time? So, for now, let us suspend this battle. As terrible as ASGORE is…  
He deserves mercy, too.”

Asgore has recovered from the flame Toriel had thrown at him to prevent your fight, shuffling up to the two of you, who are still in embrace. “Tori…  
You came back…!” He gleams, thunderous voice wavering.

“Do not “Tori” me, Dreemurr! You pathetic whelp.” Her eyes burn through him. “If you really wanted to free our kind…  
You could have gone through the barrier after you got ONE SOUL…  
… taken six SOUL’s from the humans, then come back and freed everyone peacefully. But instead, you made everyone live in despair…  
Because you would rather wait here, meekly hoping another human never comes.”

He looks over the ground in shame. “… Tori…  
You’re right… I am a miserable creature…  
… but, do you think we can at least be friends again?” He smiles hopefully.

She sighs in annoyance at his forward chipperness. “NO, Asgore.”

His face immediately steams with tears in an almost comical fashion as Undyne burst into the room, shouting her war cry at the top of her lungs. “Ngahhhhhh!!! ASGORE! Human!! Nobody fight each other!!! Everyone’s gonna make friends, or else I’ll…!! I’ll…”She awkwardly surveys they area, noticing a distinct lack of battling.

“Undyne!” You holler. “We aren’t even fighting!!” You snicker behind the words.

The goat woman extends her greetings. “Hello. I am Toriel. Are you Frisk’s friend? It is nice to meet you.” She offers warmly.

“Uh, yeah…? Undyne looks at you a bit confused. You nod, indicating that you are, indeed, Frisk, as she smiles broadly. You never did give her your name. “Nice to meet you!” She jogs to Asgore’s side, nudging him and speaking significantly less quietly than she should. “Hey ASGORE, is that your ex?”

He hangs his head, exuding self pity.

“Jeez. That’s rough, buddy.” She smirks, brightening as Alphys enters.

“H-hey! Nobody hurt each other!!” She squeaks before scanning the room nervously.

Your smile widens significantly. “Alphys…?”

“Oh! Are you another friend?” Toriel questions the scientist. “I am Toriel. Hello!”

“Uh, h-h-hi!” Her eyes grow large at whatever thoughts camp in her mind before she scurries next to Undyne, sweating anxiously.

Papyrus is the next one to barge in. “HEY! NOBODY FIGHT ANYONE! IF ANYONE FIGHTS ANYONE…!  
THEN I’LL!!!  
BE FORCED!!!  
TO ASK UNDYNE FOR HELP!!!”

Both Toriel and yourself giggle at the skeleton. “Hello!”

Papyrus eyes the queen in shock. “OH! HELLO, YOUR MAJESTY! PSST! HEY, HUMAN…  
DID ASGORE SHAVE…? AND…  
CLONE HIMSELF????”

You burst out, shaking your head at his silliness. “No, Papyrus! This is-”

“hey guys… what’s up?” Sans saunters in slowly.

“That voice…!!” You let go of Toriel as she rushes to Sans. “Hello, I think we may…  
Know each other?”

Everyone looks at the pair in surprise as Asgore’s face piles with more tears.

“oh, hey… I recognize your voice, too.” He smiles smugly, and slightly gleefully.

“I am TORIEL. So nice to meet you.” She glimmers at the short skeleton.

“the name’s sans. and, uh, same.” _Wink_.

“Oh! Wait, then…!” She turns to the taller brother. “This must be your brother, Papyrus!” She exclaims. “Greetings, Papyrus! It is nice to finally meet you!”

Papyrus’ face morphs from excitement to coy embarrassment at her new introduction.

“Your brother has told me so much about you.” She grins happily.

“WOWIE… I CAN’T BELIEVE ASGORE’S CLONE KNOWS WHO I AM!!! THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!!!!!!!” Papyrus blushes, cradling his cheeks in his gloved mitts.

“Hey, Papyrus…” Toriel smiles. “What does a skeleton tile his roof with?”

“HMMM…” He ponders. “SNOW- PROOF ROOF TILES???”

“No, silly! A skeleton tiles his roof with… SHIN-gles!!!” she laughs along with Sans at the top-tier pun.

“I CHANGED MY MIND!!!” He googles in aggravation. “THIS IS THE WORST DAY OF MY LIFE!!!”

Sans and Toriel give each other knowing smirks while Undyne comforts Asgore. “Come on, ASGORE! It’s gonna be OK! There are plenty of fish in the sea…” She looks to Alphys for assistance.

Alphys stutters, attempting to be comforting to the enormous, crying goat monster. “Y-yeah, ASGORE!! Undyne’s totally right about that fish thing! S-sometimes you’ve just got to, uh…  
s-stop going after furry boss monsters and, uh…  
J-just get to know a really cute fish…?”

Undyne gives Alphys a wide-eyed look, before changing into a suggestive smile.

“It’s a metaphor.” Alphys glances apprehensively.

“Well. I think it’s a good analogy.” Undyne insinuates before Mettaton’s leg makes an appearance.

“OH MY GOD!” The robot exclaims, causing everyone in the room to turn and look. “WILL YOU TWO JUST SMOOCH ALREADY!? THE AUDIENCE IS DYING FOR SOME ROMANTIC ACTION!!!”

“HEY, SHUT UP!!!” Mettaton retracts his leg as Undyne fumes. “Man, the nerve of that guy!” She grins. “Right, Alphys!??” Alphys looks away from the fish woman in embarrassment. “Uh Alphys?”

The doctor looks to you for assistance. You wink heartily in response. “No.” She bravely pipes. “He’s right. LET’S DO IT.” She calls into the night.

Undyne looks questioningly around the room. “Well??? Uh??? I guess??? If you want to??? Then???” She blushes brightly. “Don’t hold anything back!!!” She challenges. Their lips flop toward each other, and you finally know what it is to be grossed out by your parents kissing. You don’t enjoy it.

Toriel notices your look and rushes between them. “W-wait! Not in front of the human!” She pleads.

“Uhh, right! S-sorry , I got a little carried away there.” Alphys blushes before everyone lines up in front of you in a beautiful display of those you care for most in the underground.

“Hee hee hee. My child, it seems as if you must stay here for awhile. But looking at all the great friends you have made… I think… I think you will be happy here.” She nods encouragingly.

They all surround you, smiling ear to ear in a very picturesque, happy moment. You lift your shirt collar, sobbing heavily into it as they gleam at you. “Okay…” While part of you aches, you can’t help but know that at least you have support and love.

And then a horrible sense of dejavu takes over as Alphys questions Papyrus. “H-hey, that reminds me. Papyrus… YOU called everyone here, right? Well, besides, uh, her.” She gestures to Toriel. “Uh, anyway… if I got here before you… how did you know to call everybody?”

“ _We could be like…_ ”

“LET’S JUST SAY…” the next part seems to come in slow motion. “A   T I N Y   F L O W E R   H E L P E D   M E.”

“ _Like a family…_ ”

You freeze. Everything goes so quickly, yet in such detail, it seems to be simultaneously at a snails pace. Sans’ sockets widen dramatically. Alphys and yourself, in quivering voices, mimic each other. “ _A_  t _i_ n _y_ … f _l_ o _w_ e _r_?” Everyone else shows beautifully ignorant faces, completely unaware of the danger that’s approaching.

‘Never trust a flower. That is a constant in this world.’ Truer advice will never be given to you.

A giant, thorned vine shoves across your friends, trapping them in its electrifying embrace. You would berate yourself for not seeing the obvious sooner, but Flowey has beaten you to it. “You IDIOTS. While you guys were having your little pow-wow… I took the human SOULS! And now, not only are THOSE under my power…  
But all of your FRIENDS’ SOULS are gonna be mine, too! Hee hee hee. And you know what the best part is?” He looks you fully in the eyes. “It’s all your fault. It’s all because you MADE THEM love you. All the time you spent listening to them…  
Encouraging them…  
Caring about them…  
Without that, they wouldn’t have come here. And now, with their souls and the humans’ together… I will achieve my REAL FORM.” He cackles deviously.

“Why are you still doing this!? Why can’t you just leave us alone!?” Your voice is full of weary frustration. Every turn brings a new page of hardship. All you asked for was a break. Just a single moment that isn’t ripped callously from your fingers. But this is what you’ve come to expect.

“Don’t you get it? This is all just a GAME. If you leave the underground satisfied, you’ll ‘win’ the game. If you ‘win,’ you won’t want to ‘play’ with me anymore. And what would I do then? But this game between us will NEVER end. I’ll hold victory in front of you, just within your reach…  
And then tear it away just before you grasp it. Over and over and over…” He laughs in amusement before boredly going into another charade. “Listen. If you DO defeat me, I’ll give you your ‘happy ending.’ I’ll bring your friends back. I’ll destroy the barrier. Everyone will finally be satisfied. But that WON’T happen.” He grins. “You…! I’ll keep you here no matter what!  
**_E_ v _e_ n _i_ f _i_ t _m_ e _a_ n _s_ k _i_ l _l_ i _n_ g _y_ o _u_ 1 _,0_ 0 _0,_ 0 _0_ 0 _t_ i _m_ e _s_! _!_!** ”

Your soul flings from your chest and is snatched by a tiny box before you. “NO!!!” You shout as bullets surrounds it. You sprint toward it in order to protect yourself, but are yanked back by a vine and slammed into the ground as they jam into it, searing you over and over as new rings hit. You can feel how close to death you are when familiar flames surround you, protecting you from a killing blow.

“What?” Flowey sneers in disbelief.

“Do not be afraid my child…” Toriel smiles as you rip the vine from your ankle. “No matter what happens…  
We will always be there to protect you!”

Flowey resurges, trying to smash your soul from the sides, but he is blocked by a bone, and an arrow.

Papyrus surges enthusiastically. “THAT’S RIGHT, HUMAN! YOU CAN WIN!! JUST DO WHAT I, WOULD DO…  
BELIEVE IN YOU!!!” He cheers you on as you stand.

“Hey! Human!” Undyne pipes. “If you can get past ME , you can do ANYTHING! So don’t worry! We’re with you all the way!”

You’re laughing and crying as every one of them comes forward in support. Had you been blind this whole time, thinking you were alone?

Eyelights reappear in Sans’ empty sockets. “huh? you haven’t beaten this guy yet? come on, this weirdo’s got nothin’ on you.” He smirks at the weed as it attacks, and is again blocked by another bone, and lightning.

Alphys does her best to encourage you, as well. “Technically, it’s impossible for you to beat him…” So far, it isn’t going great “B-but…  
Somehow, I know you can do it!!”

You grin at the much better second half of the attempt.

Asgore chimes into the group. He’s not really your friend, but you’ll take what you can get. “Human, for the future of humans and monsters…! You have to stay determined…!” You ponder his familiar words as so many more come to your aid. Muffet, the royal guardsmen. Monster Kid, who is making your big sister instincts flair wildly by being here.

And you know what you have to do. This isn’t a game, like he says. Not to you. You watch him cower under the support of everyone you love, and who loves you, and you know he’s faking. You know he’ll be tearing you apart at any moment, but it doesn’t matter. You’re ready for it. You’re filled with…  
**DE̸̢̢̨͇̱̫̱̼̣̥̤͇̮̦̳̫͡TERMINAŢ͝҉ION**.

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *note to self: try not to murder Editorsan for pranking you and leaving your weird ramblings in the story...


	14. April Fools Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What, you guys wanted an April fools day chapter for this story? Nah, it's way too serious, man.
> 
> Good day to you, sir.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I said good day!

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Edit) Editorsan does not find this funny (T-T) *Has internal battle about whether or not to take this down~  
> (Edit 2) Never mind! It stays!


	15. So This is the End...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! For waiting so patiently, I have a present for you down in the bottom notes!♡
> 
> Thank you so much for all the amazing support I received on that sorry note. It means the world!  
> I took it down because it detracts from the story, but it basically added up to this:  
> No more regular updates. Sorry for the Soriel jokes. 
> 
> Enjoy the gameplay finale!♡

The whole world is ending.

Your heart races with panic as you struggle against thick green bindings, unable to move your body. You’ve done your best to avoid the lashing of magic against your weakening soul, but you can feel yourself sliding farther into the depths with each hit. Every death is becoming more and more permanent.

His pointed and luminescent wings flitter in excitement as the words from your mind pour out of his mouth. “I can feel it...  
Every time you die, your grip on this world slips away.  
Every time you die, your friends forget you a little more.  
Your life will end here, in a world where no one remembers you…”

“You’re LYING! Just stop this already. I’m not gonna-” He laughs as your eyes widen. You grit against the sweltering agony of your soul splitting through the center, parting from itself and revealing that glint of purple that belongs to another. You hold the air in your lungs, withholding your cries and screams from his entertainment, and it refused, gluing the pieces together with sheer determination.

“Still, you’re hanging on…? That’s fine. In a few moments, you’ll forget everything, too. That attitude will serve you well in the next life!”

You will your soul to dodge his onslaught, heatedly keeping up your fight against that which constricts you. “I wont let you do this!” You clamor with your mind for an answer, any solution that can bring this madness to an end. _I have to do something!_

Another unavoidable barrage, and this time you’re able to keep the small red heart from fully fracturing.

The captive lives in the center of Asriel’s chest throb in aggravation as your soul bonds itself together again. “Ura ha ha… Still!? Come on… Show me what good your DETERMINATION is now!” He ceases attacking, smearing on a look that dares you to retaliate against him.

You struggle again. Nothing happens.  
You try to reach your SAVE. Nothing happens. You try again to reach it. Nothing happens. It seems saving really is impossible.  
But…  
Maybe, with what little power you have…  
You can SAVE something else.

You reach into Asriel’s SOUL and call out to your friends. _They’re in there somewhere, aren’t they?_

Your soul pulses frantically as you feel a familiar presence. You tightly shut your eyes, focusing on the feeling of SAVE. You can almost make them out this way. “Undyne!”

You hear Asriel snickering at you as you call for her. You take a deep breath, steeling your nerves before pouring your heart out to those you love. “I-I know things were tense between us at first, but… but dammit, that cooking class was fun, and I wanna do it again. I’ll even totally kick your butt at it next time, cause I know how to cook already, and bananas don’t go in spaghetti! And, and Alphys, you’re so much better than you think you are! I know that you’re scared because you’ve made mistakes, but everyone makes mistakes. Even big ones. You’re still my friend, and I believe in you!”

Asriel sneers at you. “This is stupid.” But a glint of worry slips through his tone.

“ASGORE!” You shout over him. “I’M GOING TO SAVE EVERYONE! I PROMISE! We don’t have to fight anymore…” Your eyelashes wetten and your breathing gets heavier. “T-Toriel… I-I said I would see you again, but… it wasn’t enough. I still miss you, and… and I meant it when I called you mom.”

“This isn’t going to change anything.” He purses angrily.

“PAPY, I really want to do more puzzles with you! That day… it was the best day I-I’ve ever h-had! And I wish you could meet Tallulah, cause I know she would love you, and you would be such good friends…” You choke out the next name. “S-Sans…” Your voice is strained with tears. “I know I’ve been crazy… and stupid… b-but we promised, and I’m not giving up on that. I’m not giving up on you.” You take in a sobbing breath. “So please don’t give up on me. I need you! I can’t do this alone anymore! Please, I-” The feeling of your friends souls resonating within Asriel stops you, and it becomes clear that another needs saving. But who? You open your eyes, looking into those of the demonesque goat.

“What!?” He snaps violently.

Your voice is soft with love and understanding. “Asriel…” Your SOUL reaches out to him.

His snide anger falters. “Huh? What are you doing…!?”

“I… I st _ill re **member, Asriel, when I fell down here. It was you who came. It was you who helped me, and…**_  
**_…You do not have to do this. Do you not see? You are…_**  
**_My best friend._** ”

“Wh… what did you do…?” Shock coats his features before melting into worried despair. “What’s this feeling…? What’s happening to me?”

“ _ **Asri-**_ ”

“No! NO! I don’t need ANYONE!” He lifts his arms, drowning you in magic, but you hold steady through it, inching your soul toward him. “STOP IT! Get away from me!” He flinches backward as you gently guide yourself closer. “Do you hear me!? I’ll tear you apart!” He bats your soul away, wisps of magic, easily avoidable come toward you.

You follow him.

He releases his guard, stilling himself. “Chara…” He chokes as you gently bump into him. “Do you know why I’m doing this…? Why I keep fighting to keep you around?”

Fire patters around you like tears.

“I’m doing this…  
Because you’re special, Chara.” He smiles, attempting it wickedly, but his eyes are grieving. “You’re the only one that understands me. You’re the only one who’s any fun to play with anymore.”

“ _ **Asriel…**_ ”

He stiffens, corners of his mouth slowly fading into a frown. “No…  
That’s not JUST it. I… I...  
I’m doing this because I care about you, Chara! I care about you more than anybody else! I’m not ready for this to end. I’m not ready for you to leave! I’m not ready to say goodbye to someone like you again…  
_S_ o  _p_ l _e_ a _s_ e…  
_S_ t _o_ p  _d_ o _i_ n _g_ t _h_ i _s_ …  
_A_ N _D_ L _E_ T _M_ E  _W_ I _N_!!!”

Color illuminates your vision, surrounding you with blinding waves of power and pushing you away from him. _No. No! I can’t let this end, now! I’m so close! I’m so close, please!_ You hold onto yourself by a thinning thread, your soul mending as the cracks appear.

“ _S_ T _O_ P  _I_ T!!” He pushes harder, but You. Won't. Break.  
“S _T_ O _P_ I _T_ N _O_ W!!!” He screams, tears streaking his cheeks as you join him in the chorus, refusing to let go. Finally he ceases, his shoulders slumping forward as you both gasp for oxygen.

You soothe him as he weeps. “H-hey, it's okay…” You sniffle, fresh tracks running down your own face.

“Chara…  
I’m so alone, Chara…”

“I know.” Your voice wavers.

“I’m so afraid, Chara…”

“I am, too…”

“Chara, I…” the threatening exterior crumbles away, reveling the Asriel you knew was beneath; just a crying child in a green and yellow striped shirt. “I’m so sorry.” He weeps onto his bunched hands.

You stand as your body is freed from constraint, a small puff of relief escaping your lips.

He wipes his face with his sleeves. Somewhere, in the depths of your mind, you can hear Toriel scolding him. “I was always a crybaby, wasn’t I, Chara?” He hiccups.

Your voice is stuffy and gruff from crying. “… I'm not actually Chara…” you admit, clearing away wetness from your own face in the same way.

He looks slightly hurt. “… I know. Chara’s been gone for a long time.” You both shift quietly before each other. “Um… what…  
What IS your name?” He gently probes.

“It’s Frisk.” You answer. “My name is Frisk…”

“Frisk? That’s…  
A nice name.” He smiles.

You return the look. “Thanks.” The two of you stand like that for awhile, and you're worried you’re going to start crying again before he speaks.

“I haven’t felt like this for a long time.  
As a flower, I was soulless. I lacked the power to love other people. However, with everyone’s souls inside me…  
I not only have my own compassion back…  
But I can feel every other monster’s as well. They all care about each other so much. And… they care about you too, Frisk.”

You glance at the ground, words catching in your throat before you force them out. “… do they… really…?” You soak up new tears with the collar of your shirt before they fall.

He nods, smiling sadly at you. “I wish I could tell you how everyone feels about you. Papyrus… Sans… Undyne… Alphys…  
…Toriel.” He chuckles when you smile softly at the name. “Monsters are weird. Even though they barely know you…  
It feels like they all really love you.”

You laugh, because words like love, they scare you, and he laughs along with you. “I didn't… I never would have known.” You whisper.

“Frisk… I… I understand if you can't forgive me. I understand if you hate me. I acted so strange and horrible. I hurt you. I hurt so many people. Friends. Family. Bystanders…  
There's no excuse for what I've done.” He hangs his head, buried in the shame of his past.

You grin sheepishly. “It's funny, but I’m pretty sure I've already forgiven you.” You shrug as he lifts his head.

He blinks in surprise. “Wh… what?” You nod, giving an encouraging grin. “… Frisk, come on. You're…  
You're gonna make me cry again.  
… besides, even if you forgive me…  
I can’t keep the souls inside of me. The least I can do is return them.” He looks at the ground.

You smirk. “That’s probably a good idea.”

He nods in agreement. “But first…  
There’s something I have to do.”

You tilt your head, watching him questioningly. “What's that?”

He takes a deep breath, straightening himself. “Right now, I can feel everyone's hearts beating as one. They’re all burning with the same desire. With everyone’s power...  
With everyone’s determination…  
It’s time for monsters...  
To finally go free.”

Your eyes widen dramatically as he levitates into the air, the human souls surrounding him in a circle before, one at a time, thousands of colorless souls eject from his body creating a spiraled frenzy of souls around you. They lightly bump into you as they pack themselves into the surrounding area. Soon, all you can see is the white light emitting from them, and all you can hear is a loud crack.

The barrier is destroyed.

The souls drift away, and Asriel lowers to the ground before turning to face you. “Frisk…” He hangs his head. “I have to go now. Without the power of everyone’s souls… I can’t keep maintaining this form. In a little while… I’ll turn back into a flower. I’ll stop being ‘myself’. I’ll stop being able to feel love again. So… Frisk. It’s best if you just forget about me, OK?” He smiles, finally looking up at you. “Just go be with the people who love you.” He firmly shuts his eyes, and you shuffle to him, looping your arms around him and bringing him into a tight embrace.

You spend a while like that. It’s comfortable, but eventually you hear a stiff laugh from Asriel. “Ha… ha…. I don’t want to let go…” His voice is strained. 

You give him an extra squeeze before backing away.

“Frisk… You’re… You’re going to do a great job, OK? No matter what you do. Everyone will be there for you, okay?” You nod, lip quivering as he turns away. “Well… my time’s running out. Goodbye.” He takes a few steps before looking back at you. By the way…  
… take care of Mom and Dad for me, OK?”

You nod. “I will…” You watch as he turns and leaves.

 

* * *

 

“Frisk! This is all just a bad dream…! Please, wake up…!”

You groan, sitting up and looking around the room. Everyone is here, as if they never left, except Asriel.

“Oh!” Toriel exclaims. You are awake! Thank goodness!” she breathes, placing a hand over her heart.

Alphys interjects. “W-we were so worried…! It felt like you were out forever!”

“Yeah!” Undyne speaks as you stand and dust yourself off, looking at her. “Any longer and I would have freaked out!” She gives you the murder gaze. “Tell us next time you decide to take a nap, okay!?”

You laugh uncomfortably. “O-okay… I’ll just, uh… do that….”

“you better.” Sans chuckles. “you made papyrus cry like a baby.”

“WHAT!!” Papyrus glares at his brother. “I DIDN’T CRY!!! I DON’T CRY!! I JUST… CAUGHT SOMETHING IN MY EYE.”

“what did you catch?”

“TEARS!!!” He bawls.

“Oh no! Papyrus, I’m sorry!” You cover your mouth to keep him from seeing the nervous giggle that threatens to erupt.

Asgore clears his throat. “Now, now. The important part is that Frisk is all right.” You face him as he extends his hand, a tea cup, tiny compared to his massive self, extended in his fingertips. “Here, Frisk. Why not drink some tea? It’ll make you feel better.” He grins, probing at you with the imitation porcelain.

You unintentionally back away, prompting Toriel to intervene the aggressive tea suggesting. “Errr… How about we give them space, first. They must be very exhausted. Though, from what, I am not certain. Frisk, we do not remember exactly what happened. There was a flower…  
And then, everything went white. But now the barrier is gone.”

You anxiously bite your lip. “That’s… probably going to take a long time to explain.” _And I'm not sure how much he wants you to know…_ “Uh, I think I’m going to take a walk. There's someone I need to talk to.”

Toriel smiles patiently. “Do as you wish. We will wait for you here. When you are ready, we will all return to the surface. It seems the door to the west will lead us there.

You look between them. They all have their “adult” faces on. It looks like they have a lot of talking of their own to do. You cast a glance at Sans, silently pleading him not to talk _too_ much. You'd rather tell Toriel about your sister on your own. He gives a knowing wink back, quelling your nerves, and you wave at them as you leave.

 

* * *

 

He’s standing before the place you landed when you entered the mountain, looking over the flowers that broke your fall so long ago. You move toward him quietly, tapping him on the shoulder. It startles him and he turns to face you.

“I’m sorry.” You say. “I didn’t mean to scare you…”

“That’s okay, Frisk.” He answers. “Don’t worry about me. Someone has to take care of these flowers.” He looks back to the golden-hued plants.

You aren’t ready to say goodbye, yet. “But… Asriel…” You try to protest.

“Frisk, please leave me alone.” He closes his eyes, a sorrowful smirk across his mouth.

You bite your lip, holding back emotion. “No. Come with me.” You say in an almost demanding tone.

“I can’t come back.” He’s firm, but not rude. “I just can’t, OK? I don't want to break their hearts all over again. It’s better if they never see me.”

You don’t want to understand, but you do. This Asriel will not be here for much longer. “Okay…” You whisper, and try to move away, but you can't bring yourself leave him alone.

Asriel sighs. “Why are you still here? Are you trying to keep me company?”

You wish you could be more insistent. You wish you could tell him he doesn’t have to be alone, and that they will still love him, no matter what he’s done, just the same as he said they will do for you. You can only bring yourself to nod.

“Frisk…” he smiles solemnly, slightly shaking his head before a more serious expression takes over. “Hey… let me ask you a question. Why did you come here? Everyone knows the legend right…? ‘Travelers who climb Mt. Ebott are said to disappear’.”

You wonder if he knows this because of the human souls he had absorbed, or maybe because of Chara.

“Why would you ever climb a mountain like that? Was it foolishness? Was it fate? Or was it…” He struggles to emit the next peace of his sentence. “Because you…?” A deep foreboding takes over his features in the tense moment of insinuation.

You weren't expecting that question. You blink in Surprise. “I… um…” You stutter, then become silent before managing to shake your head. When you ponder it, you trust _Asriel,_ but... it’s likely best that you keep your reasoning private.

He attempts a reassuring smile. “Well, I know why Chara climbed the mountain.” He looks back at the flowers, voice low. “It wasn’t for a very happy reason...” He sighs. “I’ll be honest with you. Chara hated Humanity. Why they did, they never talked about it. But they felt very strongly about that.”

You nod when he looks back at you. “I suppose I can understand why, even though… I don’t really feel the same way.”

He lets out a short laugh. “You really ARE different from Chara. In fact, though you have similar, uh, fashion choices... I don’t know why I ever acted like you were the same person.”

You pull at the bottom of your shirt, examining it. _But… You’re wearing stripes, too!_ You mentally whine.

He grins, but it soon falters. “Maybe…  
The truth is… Chara wasn’t really the greatest person. While, Frisk… you’re the type of friend I wish I always had. So maybe I was kind of projecting a little bit.”

You shrug. “That's alright. You aren’t the only one who has. Heck, Flowey even…” You immediately bite your lip, silencing yourself. “Uh… sorry…”

“It’s okay. Let’s be honest. I did some weird stuff as a flower.”

You nod in agreement.

He frowns at the flowers in contemplation. “There’s something I feel like I should tell you. I know you found out about how Chara died and...  
Our plan to break the barrier...  
But…  
When we combined our SOULs together…  
The control over our body was actually split between us. They were the one that picked up their own empty body. And then, when we got to the Village…  
They were the one that wanted to…  
… to use our full power. I was the one that resisted. And then, because of me, we…  
Well, that’s why I ended up a flower…”

“Ah…” You aren’t sure what to say, but his words make sense. They had promised only to take six souls, and Asriel had never truly wanted to go through with their plan.

“This whole time, I’ve blamed myself for that decision. That’s why I adopted that horrible view of the world. ‘Kill or be killed’. But now…  
After meeting you…  
Frisk, I don’t regret that decision anymore. I did the right thing. If I killed those humans…  
We would have had to wage war against all of humanity…  
And in the end, everyone went free, right? I still feel kind of sad knowing how long it took…  
… so maybe it wasn’t a perfect decision. But you can’t regret hard choices your whole life, right? Well, not that I have much of a life left. But that’s beside the point.”

You stare at the ground for a long time, choosing your words carefully before you speak. “Someday, we’ll find a way to make you Asriel again, and you can be happy for the rest of your life. When that time comes, I’ll be back to get you.”

“Frisk…” you can tell he wants to say something, but changes his mind. “Thank you for listening to me. You should really go be with your friends now, OK?”

You nod, respecting that he doesn’t want to speak of it further.

“Oh, and, please…  
In the future, if you, uh, see me...  
Don’t think of it as me, OK? I just want you to remember me like this. Someone that was your friend for a little while.”

You smile at him, giving him a curt nod. “Already done.”

He grins, looking truly happy for once. “Well, see you.”

You smirk at his wording. “Yeah, see ya.”

 

* * *

 

“Oh my…” Toriel’s soft vocals are the first to permeate the awestruck silence.

The sun setting over the horizon, framed by the jutting mountains to the south, and skyscrapers, equally as tall, to the north, is a spectacular sight to take in.

“isn’t it beautiful, everyone?” Asgore chimes.

“Wow… it’s e-even better than on TV.” The royal scientist states in shock. “WAY better! Better than I ever imagined!”

“Frisk.” Undyne turns to you, pointing to the sun. “You LIVE with this!? The sunlight is so nice… and the air is so fresh! I really feel alive!” She splays her arms, taking in the atmosphere around her.

Papyrus glares at the object, red-gloved hand over his eyes. “HEY SANS…  
WHAT’S THAT GIANT BALL?”

“we call that ‘the sun’, my friend.” His brother answers.

“THAT’S THE SUN!? WOWIE!!! I CAN’T BELIEVE I’M FINALLY MEETING THE SUN!!”

A wide, goofy grin spreads across your face as you listen to them.

“I could stand here and watch this for hours…” The deep bravado of the king reverberates.

Toriel nods. “Yes, It is beautiful, is it not? But we should really think about what comes next.”

“Oh, right. Everyone…  
This is the beginning of a bright new future. An Era of peace between humans and monsters. Frisk…” You look to Asgore as he questions you. “I have something to ask of you. Will you act as our ambassador to the humans?”

You hesitate a moment. “I… um, suppose I can do that…” You don’t know what the job entails, but you’re sure you can figure it out as you go.

Papyrus seems excited by the prospect. “YEAH! FRISK WILL BE THE BEST AMBASSADOR! AND I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS… WILL BE THE BEST MASCOT!” He poses heroically. “I’LL GO MAKE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION!” He sprints down the side of the mountain. You would be more worried, but there’s nothing around for miles.

Sans shrugs. “welp. someone’s gotta keep him from getting into trouble. see you guys.” _Wink._ He walks back into the mountain, but you’re sure he’ll be next to Papyrus soon enough.

“Man, do I have to do EVERYTHING? Papyrus, wait!!!” Undyne hurls after him.

“Hey, Undyne!! Wait up!!” Alphys slowly attempts to jog.

The three of you who are left stand in silence before Asgore chuckles nervously. “Whoops. Uh, should I do something?”

You watch Toriel glowering at him from the corner of your eye.

“Well, gotta go!” and he dashes after the others.

“It seems that everyone is quite eager to set off.” Toriel looks down at you as you nod. “Frisk…  
You came from this world, right…? So you must have a place to return to, do you not? What will you do now?”

“… I’d like to stay with you… if that’s okay…”

“What? Frisk…  
You really are a funny child. If you had said that earlier, none of this would have happened. It is a good thing you took so long to change your mind. Hee hee hee.”

“Yeah… heh... I guess it is.” You'll have to tell her why, sooner rather than later, but she looks so contented, you don't want to ruin the happy mood.

“Well… I suppose. If you really do not have any other place to go… I will do my best to take care of you, for as long as you need. All right?” You nod as she beams in your direction. “Now, come along. Everyone is waiting for us!” She plucks your hand up into her own, guiding you down the pathway to the peninsula on which everyone stands.

You take in the moment of happiness, drinking in the view and watching everyone’s smiling faces looking up at you. It fills you with determination.

That’s when you realize you can’t SAVE.

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so first off, I need to give ya'll another pre-trigger warning. You've been pre-warned, and it is going to be brutal in a different way than the last warning.
> 
> Second, here is your present:  
> http://gewlr.deviantart.com/art/Unfinished-character-design-for-Sans-673750701
> 
> I hope you like it!! 
> 
> Third, I have finished the plot for this story and the will be two endings. One will be a tragedy, and one will be happy. 
> 
> (Edit) Oh!! The video is happening and it's going to be the final chapter!!♡♡


	16. I'm the worst *NOTE*

The rewrite has come.Each and every chapter has been planned out. I'm sorry I didn't just finish with what I was doing, but I just didn't like what I had. I learned to write, like actually write, so this is me fixing things. I hope I'll see you there! If not, I will miss you :(

The novelization is going slowly. I'm leaving that up here. The original content can now be found here:

 

 

<http://archiveofourown.org/works/12688875/chapters/28932048>


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